Venus and Serena Williams’ former coach tips Jack Draper as ‘one of the tennis world’s best’

• Tap above to hear tennis coach Jon Lee's story in his own words

By Chris Howse, Programme and Digital Editor

A top tennis coach who trained Venus and Serena Williams has backed Britain’s Jack Draper to become one of the world's best players.

Jon Lee, who currently works as Racquets Manager at David Lloyd in Southend, said Draper could become a top 20 player after his stunning victory at Queen’s over Carlos Alcaraz.

Draper’s straight sets win over the world number two and defending Queen’s and Wimbledon champion was the biggest of his career so far.

“Draper has got some weapons, he’s got big serves, he's got a pretty solid backhand and can feel the ball well at the net,” Jon said.

“Is he going to be a top 20 player? I'd expect so. If he gets the right draw with the crowd behind him, he could do very well,” Jon explained.

Draper is the British number one, ranked 29th in the world and seeded for the first time at a grand slam.

He also won his first ATP Tour title in Stuttgart in 2024.

Jack Draper has built up Thursday’s Wimbledon battle of Britain with Cameron Norrie by insisting: “He won’t like the fact that I’m number one!”

Draper set up a second-round meeting with Norrie, the man he replaced as the nation’s top-ranked male player a fortnight ago, after a five-set win over qualifier Elias Ymer on Centre Court.

Jon Lee started playing tennis aged just 14 and, while coping a few years later with the sudden death of his mother, he got the chance to train in the United States.

Jon said he “blagged his way in” to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (now the IMG Academy).

Nick was responsible for developing world-class players including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova.

But it was at another top tennis academy in America, run by world coaching professional Rick Macci, where he first met the young Williams sisters, aged just eleven and nine.

“Rick kindly supported me by guiding me into coaching,” Jon explained.

“He said he'd start to give me players to hit with and guide me on a coaching career.

“And the first two people, amazingly, that he gave me, were Venus and Serena Williams! What are the chances of that?”

Venus and Serena were at the beginning of what would turn out to be extraordinary, multi-million pound, record breaking careers.

Talent scouts and sponsors had already spotted their potential and were often present during training at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy.

“He [Rick] turned and said to me one day they are going to be number one and two in the world! He was bang on.

“There was a court set aside for them. There was an entourage all of a sudden, there were dozens of people and there were sponsors there - like 30 different rackets to try out,” Jon said.

Jon, whose coaching career spans more than three decades, said it was “amazing” to be involved with the Williams sisters.

He said what they achieved was “truly phenomenal” adding: “We knew Venus was going to be good and he [Rick] knew Serena was going to be the one to break all records. Just an amazing tennis player.”

Jon has coached at all levels of the game and is not fazed by seeing a famous face on the other side of the net.

On one occasion he didn’t realise he was training a major Hollywood star who appeared in one of his favourite films.

“He had sunglasses and a hat on and when I came off court somebody told me [who it was] - so I turned around and shouted out ‘Indie!!’”

The star was Harrison Ford who was pulling in millions of pounds at the box office at the time for the Indiana Jones films.

“He didn't turn around, he just put his hand in the air and waved!” Jon explained.

When Jon came back to the UK his reputation as a top coach meant another A-list star wanted a tennis lesson.

Jon said: “One of the receptionists said to me ‘you've got Cliff Richard today’.

“I said ‘not the real Cliff Richard?’ I got on the court and there he was!

“An amazing experience to work with him. We used to play twice a week for a couple of hours.

“He’s a good tennis player, very fit, and a great guy to coach.”

Sir Cliff Richard is a regular in the Royal Box at Wimbledon and has famously entertained the crowds with a song or two.

Alongside Jack Draper at this year’s championship fans will keep their eye on British hopefuls Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter.

Raducanu reached the semi-finals in Nottingham before losing to Boulter who went on to retain the title.

Raducanu then claimed her first win over a top ten opponent against Jessica Pegula on her way to the Eastbourne quarter-finals.

The 21-year-old had a slice of good fortune on day one at Wimbledon when her scheduled opponent, 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, withdrew because of illness.

Her replacement, Mexican Renata Zarazua, appeared a much kinder prospect on paper but the world number 98 is a tricky player and Raducanu survived some difficult moments in a 7-6 (0) 6-3 victory on Centre Court.

Jon added: “Raducanu is coming into form, but she needs a little bit of luck because she’s going in on the wild card.

“The way Katie Boulter strikes the ball is so clean and she moves fantastically.

“She's a top 30 player and with the right draw on grass, with the crowd behind her, I think she could do some damage at Wimbledon."

Jon’s main focus now is helping players in Essex improve their game at David Lloyd in Southend.

He said while there were always new ways to improve the sport, the game was still as popular as ever.

Other racquet sports were also growing in popularity such as padel which is thought to have originated in Mexico in the 1960s.

Pickleball is also one of the world’s fastest growing sports and uses a hollow plastic ball.

Jon’s advice for anyone wanting to try their hand at tennis for the first time - “find a good coach.”

He added: “A coach that's empathetic, one that cares, one that's well qualified, and one that will send you on the right journey and starting out the right way.

“One that will really help your pathway of becoming the best player you can be.”

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