Jack Draper’s career earnings can surpass Andy Murray’s if he avoids Emma Raducanu fate

Jack Draper’s been told he could potentially out-earn Andy Murray in his career – provided he steers clear of the slump that Emma Raducanu has experienced.

Draper is gearing up for the biggest match of his life as he faces world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the US Open semi-final on Friday evening. The 22-year-old has so far dazzled audiences without dropping a single set at the New York major and is now aiming to reach his first Grand Slam final.

Whether Britain has finally found its true successor to Murray is yet to be determined. However, there’s speculation that Draper could surpass the Scot’s career earnings, provided he sustains his success over time and doesn’t falter under the weight of expectation like injury-hit Raducanu has since her US Open triumph in 2021.

Draper’s rise mirrors that of the 21-year-old when she clinched the title at Flushing Meadows at just 18. Despite Raducanu’s failure to add to her trophy collection since, suffering setbacks in majors and ATP events, she has still managed to amass a substantial sum through endorsements.

Off the court, Raducanu has amassed a fortune which the Sunday Times Rich List estimates to be around £10million. Her career winnings total just over £3m, but it’s her sponsorship deals where she’s raking in the majority of her cash, as per the Express.

However, Raducanu is currently facing a wave of uncertainty over her lucrative endorsement deals with big names like British Airways, Vodafone, and Tiffany, following a dip in her world rankings and less than stellar performances on the court, The Telegraph claim.

In an exclusive chat with TopOffshoreSportsbooks, sports finance expert Professor Rob Wilson weighed in on the financial prospects for Draper, suggesting he could potentially eclipse Murray’s career takings by a whopping £40million.

“If we just compare Draper to Andy Murray, what we can see is that Murray earned something in the region of $200 million (£152m) during his career and that was since he turned professional in 2005,” Wilson said. “For somebody like Draper, the ceiling is around about $250m (£190m), but he would need to follow a trajectory like Murray’s, so if he is successful at Flushing Meadows and then is able to back that up with relative success thereafter, then his earning potential is going to be significantly high.”

Wilson also highlighted the concept of “instant success”, arguing that a gradual rise to wealth through consistent victories often trumps a sudden burst onto the scene, which can set unrealistic expectations and make it difficult to maintain early momentum. Murray’s gradual rise contrasts heavily with current young sensations such as Raducanu.

“Andy Murray didn’t have the instant success that we saw with Raducanu, or that we may see with Draper,” Wilson said. “Being able to ease his way into his career was quite important, so therefore there is no reason why Jack could not exceed what Andy achieved financially in his career.

“The other point to note about Draper is that his previous career high ranking is something like 25th, so this is a really unprecedented tournament for him so far. He has earned something like $3m in his career to date, which is over the course of a six-year period.

“Whilst this run at the US Open is remarkable, and he will undoubtedly earn some good additional prize money and salary from this particular tournament, I think it demonstrates the importance of that prolonged sporting success if you are going to multiply those career earnings and if you want to start catching up with the likes of Andy Murray.”

Wilson feels that Draper’s future is bright and potentially lucrative, adding: “The world is his oyster.” But he also stressed that continued triumphs are key for financial gains. “But it will hinge on sporting success for sure, as we have seen with Emma Raducanu,” he concluded.