In-form Jack Draper eyes routine start over Sebastian Baez
Fourth seed Jack Draper begins his Wimbledon campaign against unseeded Sebastian Baez in what looks, on paper, like a straightforward opener for the top-ranked Brit. Draper’s rise into the top 10 was fueled by his Indian Wells triumph, his first ATP Masters 1000 title, and he’s carried that form through much of the season.
Baez, meanwhile, picked up his seventh career title in Rio but has struggled for consistency since. While Draper remains the heavy favorite, the chaos of Day 1 at Wimbledon, marked by early exits for Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune, and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ withdrawal, serves as a timely reminder: nothing is guaranteed on grass.
British No.1 Jack Draper begins his #Wimbledon journey today on No.1 Court 🤝#FiveUnmissableMoments, presented by @BarclaysUK pic.twitter.com/s8DX6UvSJ5
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 1, 2025
Draper has enjoyed a breakthrough season, making deep runs across surfaces and notching significant wins. The Brit reached the fourth round at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros, claimed the Indian Wells title over Holger Rune, and made finals in Qatar and Madrid. His recent semifinal showing at Queen’s adds to a strong resume that also includes 287 aces, a 75% first-serve win rate, and a 38% break point conversion across 314 chances.
Emma & Jack Draper heading to practice at Wimbledon 🍓
— Raducanu News (@RaducanuNews) June 29, 2025
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/Zb3lUH9BHo
Baez, meanwhile, started the year brightly with a Challenger semifinal in Rosario, a title run in Rio, and runner-up finishes in Chile and Bucharest. However, he’s struggled for consistency since, with early exits becoming more common. Statistically, Baez has held steady, firing 44 aces, winning 72% of first-serve points, and converting 43% of 241 break point opportunities.
SPECIAL 🙌
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 23, 2025
The moment Sebastian Baez sealed his 7th career ATP title with another victory in Rio!#RioOpen pic.twitter.com/bSJG5smmub
Jack Draper holds a commanding 2-0 lead in his head-to-head against Sebastian Baez, having not dropped a single set in their previous encounters. The Brit first got the better of Baez at Monte Carlo in 2023 and followed it up with another straight-sets win in Adelaide at the start of 2024.
| Year | Event | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Adelaide | Round of 32 | Jack Draper | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2023 | Monte Carlo | Round of 64 | Jack Draper | 6-3, 7-5 |
| Jack Draper | Category | Sebastian Baez |
| 4 | Current Ranking | 38 |
| 107-59 | Career W-L | 104-100 |
| 28-8 | YTD W-L | 13-13 |
| 3 | Career Titles | 7 |
| 0 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 1 | YTD Titles | 1 |
Draper enters this clash as the clear favorite, riding high on confidence and recent form. With a dominant head-to-head, deeper Grand Slam runs, and superior hard-court success, the Brit’s all-court game and serve firepower should be too much for Baez, who has struggled to maintain consistency since his early-season success.
Both world #1 Jannik Sinner and British #1 Jack Draper will play on Court 1 tomorrow. Petra Kvitova getting Court 1 too 😍
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 30, 2025
Defending champ Krejcikova, 7-time champ Djokovic and RG champ Gauff on Centre.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/L7PuuZjFkM
Prediction: Jack Draper in straight sets
At 1/100, the odds heavily back Draper to win, reflecting both his superior form and past dominance over Baez. The Argentine, priced at 16/1, is a major underdog and would need a significant drop in Draper’s level to cause an upset.
Here are the betting odds according to BetMGM:
Jack Draper: 1/100
Sebastian Baez: 16/1
Here are the odds for total games as well as total sets for both players (sourced via BetMGM):
Total Games Over 27.5: Evens
Total Games Under 27.5: 3/4
Total Games won by Draper Over 18.5: 21/20
Total Games won by Baez Over 8.5: 5/6
Total Sets Over 3.5: 29/10
Total Sets Under 3.5: 1/4
(All Odds According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)
Mandatory Image Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
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mma I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.
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