Mirra Andreeva and Jack Draper are emerging as the rising stars of tennis in 2025 and their progress has been reflected in the updated UTR Ratings.
Andreeva won the biggest tournament of her career as she lifted the WTA 1000 title in Dubai on Saturday, as the 17-year-old Russian beat Clara Tauson 7-6(1) 6-1 to win a title in a tournament that also saw her beat Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.
The win propelled Andreeva up to No 9 in the updated WTA Rankings, but she is up to No 5 in the UTR Rating, which uses an algorithm that calculates the rankings based on recent form rather than the year-round calculation of the ATP Ranking.
Victories against higher-ranked players are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA Ranking, meaning they offer up a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.
The UTR Rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.
All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.
The UTR Ranking is open to players of all levels of the game and the algorithm used provides an intriguing insight at the top of the game.
This more immediate ranking is also highlighted in the men’s list, with Britain’s Jack Draper moving up to a career-high of No 6 in the updated UTR Rating following his run to the ATP 500 final at the Qatar Open, where he lost against Andrey Rublev.
In the opinion of Sky Sports Tennis lead commentator Jonathan Overend, Andreeva and Draper are players to watch in 2025, with both appearing to be ready to make a breakthrough at the very top of the game.
“I’ve been a Mira Andreeva fan for three years now and it is only a matter of time before she breaks through and wins a really big tournament,” Overend told Tennis365.
“I love everything about her. The game is developing and I love everything about her off court. The way she talks to to the media is just fantastic and it feels like she has been on Tour for a decade and her time will surely come.”
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Overend is also backing Draper to shine this year as he added: “Jack Draper has a game that could take him into the top 10 of the rankings and after that, who knows where it could take him.
“I have said that we might have a British finalist at Wimbledon this year and if he can stay fit and play at his best with the weapons he has, that could be Jack Draper.”
Injury issues have impacted Draper’s ambitions over the last couple of years and after admitting he was jaded in his defeat against Rublev in Doha, he made the sensible decision to pull out of the ATP Tour event in Dubai.
“Unfortunately, I have made the decision to withdraw from Dubai Duty Free,” said Draper, as he confirmed his decision.
“After a great week at Qatar Open Tennis I’m taking onboard advice to prioritise my recovery and manage my body after a number of long matches, and give myself the best chance of competing consistently throughout the year.
“I’m gutted not to compete at such an amazing event but will look forward to returning to competition at BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open.”
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