Jack Draper believes that he is in the process of positioning himself to compete for the biggest titles in the world over the coming years at a time when the next generation of tennis players are beginning to make an impact in the major tournaments.
“I feel [there is] a really big opportunity if I stay injury free and if I keep working hard on my body and having the experiences that I’m having playing week in week out, I’m full of confidence that I will be able to get to that top level,” said Draper.
“It’s just kind of making sure I’m doing all the right things for my mind and my body and being as professional as possible, because my game’s there. I’m working hard all the time to be better, and I don’t feel like I’m too far away, so I’ve just got to keep working, and hopefully over time that level will come and the results will come as well and I can be right at the top of the game with those guys.”
Draper will compete in the fourth round of the US Open for a second consecutive year as he faces Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Monday. His two runs in New York, though, have come under completely different circumstances. Last year, the 22-year-old had only just returned to action after being forced to miss Wimbledon with a shoulder injury in another injury-ravaged season. Even when he was playing well, the prospect of another injury was in the back of his mind every time he stepped on court.
This year, Draper has finally been able to compete throughout the season without major problems and to feel like he is now truly gaining the experience he needs to thrive . “I was still really struggling with the shoulder injury when I played here last year,” he said. “I feel very different now. I’m not waking up every day worried about playing five sets. I have so much more confidence in my mind and my body through experiences of playing on the tour now this year consistently.”
This has certainly not been a perfect year. Alongside the highs of his first title in Stuttgart, a win over Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s and a quarter-final in Cincinnati, Draper went through a difficult period between February and May, culminating in a first-round loss at the French Open that forced him to make significant changes to his approach. At Wimbledon, Draper then lost a disappointing second-round match to Cameron Norrie. Still, both the positive and negative experiences have helped his development and the trust he has built with his body has allowed him the freedom to properly focus on his game.
In recent years, Draper has also had to take responsibility for aspects of his job that he had perhaps never fully grasped, such as being an employer and making personnel decisions around him. He cites the decision to rehire his longtime fitness coach Steven Kotze as instrumental in him becoming more physically robust. Draper feels his past injuries were at times a consequence of overworking and they have done a better job of addressing the root cause of recurring problems.
Likewise, Draper had hired the former top 10 player Wayne Ferreira as his second coach during his difficult clay court season but after around three months of working together, Draper opted to part with the South African before the US hard court swing.
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“It’s difficult,” said Draper on his role as an employer. “It’s not a normal job for a 19, 20, 21-year-old but this is the nature of the business. I think I understood when I was young a few years back that even though I’ve got people around me who are a lot older and a lot more experienced, I am the boss of my tennis. That’s the number one thing, to have the people I trust and have the people that have got my back and have people that have the best interest at heart for me.”
As he seeks out his first grand slam quarter-final, Draper will face an extremely talented and in-form opponent in Machac, who won the mixed doubles Olympic gold medal in Paris alongside his ex-girlfriend Katerina Siniakova and has also reached the fourth round without dropping a set. Although there will be significant opportunities in Draper’s future, the path ahead will certainly not be easy.
