After clinching his maiden ATP 1000 title at the Indian Wells last month, Jack Draper has been on a rise. The Brit broke into the top 10 as well following his epic win over Holger Rune in the final of the BNP Paribas Open. However, the World No.6 couldn’t make it two-in-a-row as he faced an early R64 exit in Miami. But it’s a new month and a new campaign awaits him. Draper’s set to begin his clay court journey this season, with the prestigious Monte Carlo Masters. While he will look to start on a winning note, Draper will have a tough challenge to overcome in Margos Giron. So who’s got the edge going into this encounter?
Jack Draper v Marcos Giron: Preview
Jack Draper has been mostly consistent this season. Back in January, he managed to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open before Carlos Alcaraz edged him out. In the next event in Doha, he made it to the final. Unfortunately, Andrey Rublev proved too much for him there as the Russian won the trophy with a score line of 7-5, 5-7, 6-1. However, Draper maintained his form and eventually lifted his first ATP 1000 trophy at the BNP Paribas Open. In the summit clash, last month, he beat Holger Rune with a score line of 6-2, 6-2.
In the following campaign at the Miami Open, Draper failed to go past the first round, but he will look to turn it around in Monte Carlo now and put on a dominating show against Giron, who has already made it to three quarterfinals in the 2025 season (Adelaide International, Delray Beach Open, and the Mexican Open).
Last month, however, he couldn’t make it to the last eight in Indian Wells after losing to Arthur Fils. The latter beat him with a score line of 2-6,6-2,3-6 in R16. His last event in Miami, similar to Draper’s, was forgettable as well. Giron was ousted early in R128 after losing to Jordan Thompson.
Draper vs Giron: Head-to-Head
These two players have faced each other twice in professional encounters. Draper is currently leading the h2h tally 2-0 against Giron. Their last face-off took place last season, in June, at the Stuttgart Open. Back then, Draper emerged victorious in R16 before eventually winning the title as well, defeating Matteo Berrettini in the final.
2024 Stuttgart Open R16: Draper 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
2024 Australian Open R128: Draper 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
Prediction: Jack Draper to win in straight sets
Jack Draper’s singles record this season is amazing at 13-3 compared to Marcos Giron’s (11-7). Clearly, the Brit has got an edge there. When it comes to event history, Draper’s record in Monte Carlo is very poor. In his last two Monte Carlo appearances (2023 and 2024), he failed to go past R32 and R64. On the other hand, Giron has also not performed very well in this event either. His last two campaigns in 2022 and 2024 saw him crash out from R64 on both occasions.
As far as their playing styles are concerned, Draper is a right-hander but prefers to play with his left hand. He relies heavily on the baseline alongside his powerful serve and smooth movement around the net. Simply put, he is good when it comes to court coverage. He can also build pressure on his rivals by approaching the net and finishing the points. And don’t forget his left-hand serve, especially the sliced serve, which is crucial to his performance.
Giron is a baseliner, too, also known as the ‘ball machine.’ Being physically strong, he’s got the ability to play long battles with his aggressive approach, thanks to a solid forehand. He can also hit an effective two-handed backhand to stun his opponents.
Considering the overall form in 2025 and their h2h history, the Brit looks the favorite. Jack Draper is expected to advance to R16 of Monte Carlo with a win in straight sets against Giron on Tuesday.
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