VIENNA/STARNBERG, July 3, 2025
Rising British star Jack Draper, one of the most talked-about players at the ongoing Wimbledon Championships, is set to return to Vienna this October to defend his Erste Bank Open title. The 23-year-old will headline a stacked player field that already features three other past champions: Andrey Rublev (2020), Alexander Zverev (2021), and Daniil Medvedev (2022).
Draper’s meteoric rise began just over a year ago, when he claimed his maiden ATP title on grass in Stuttgart. But it was in Vienna that he made his major breakthrough, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-5 in the 2024 final to capture his first ATP 500 title. That victory propelled him into the Top 15 of the ATP Rankings. Since then, he has continued his ascent, most notably with a career-defining win at the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells this past March. Draper now sits at No. 4 in the world.
Reflecting on his debut in Vienna, Draper expressed nothing but admiration for the Austrian capital. “I really enjoy being here—the city is beautiful,” he said last October. “I love walking around and taking in the atmosphere. Some tournaments are held in places where there’s not much going on, but Vienna is different. There are great restaurants and cafés, and it’s easy to unwind. I’d love to come back for many more years.”
Should Draper succeed in defending his title, he would become the first player to do so since the Erste Bank Open was upgraded to ATP 500 status in 2015.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev is chasing a milestone of his own. The Russian, a 20-time ATP Tour titlist, has yet to win twice at any single venue. Medvedev, who triumphed in Vienna in 2022 and reached the final again in 2023, said: “I have a lot of good memories from this tournament. It would be great to add more this year.”
The 2025 edition of the Erste Bank Open promises elite competition, with three current Top-10 players already on the entry list: Alexander Zverev (ATP No. 3), Draper (No. 4), and Medvedev (No. 9). Rublev, currently ranked 14th, also returns with ambitions of a second Vienna crown.
Tournament director Herwig Straka emphasized the event’s continued prestige: “Jack Draper has evolved into one of the ATP Tour’s top stars since last summer. We’re thrilled to welcome him back to Vienna to defend his title. With four past champions—Draper, Zverev, Medvedev, and Rublev—already confirmed, the Erste Bank Open once again proves its status as one of the most attractive and respected events on the calendar. And this is just the beginning—more top names will follow.”
The Erste Bank Open 2025 will be held from October 18–26 at the Wiener Stadthalle, with a prize pool of €2,736,875.
