In the joyful aftermath of his triumph in Vienna late last year, the deep satisfaction Jack Draper felt from his rapid progress prompted him to look ahead. Draper does not often think about his specific goals, preferring to simply focus on his daily work, but the ultimate objective was clear. He saw himself in the mix at the very top of the game, chasing down the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He believed he was not so far from doing so.
After a series of sublime performances over the past 10 days secured for Draper his first Masters 1000 at Indian Wells, the 23-year-old is now even closer. Not only has he reached No 7 in the ATP rankings by defeating four top-15 opponents in succession, including a stellar semi-final win against Alcaraz, he has positioned himself as a top contender for years to come. If Draper can continue to keep significant injuries at bay, there is no reason why he cannot compete for and potentially win grand slam titles.
“I’m definitely believing more and more that I can compete consistently against top players in the world,” Draper said after his victory in a press conference via video link. “It’s five sets [at grand slam tournaments], it’s a little bit of a change, but I feel like I belong completely.
“There’s a lot of things that can still improve in my game, which is really exciting. I feel like a lot of players maybe, they kind of maxed out in some ways. I feel like I’ve still got a lot to work on and a lot to uncover with my tennis.”
This triumph was even more impressive considering his more recent issues. Just as it seemed like Draper had finally outpaced all of the physical problems that had afflicted him during his career, he found himself back in a familiar position during the off-season in December. While his rivals were working harder and getting stronger, Draper was again relegated to his sofa in Putney as he waited for the painful tendinitis in his hip to calm down, yet another injury sabotaging the momentum he had worked so hard to build.
It would have been understandable had Draper drowned in doubts about whether his body would ever truly allow him to thrive, but he instead focused on his work and he made the best of what he had. Despite arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open with minimal preparation, he still made monumental by somehow dragging himself through three consecutive five set wins before retiring against Alcaraz in round four. Alongside the confidence he gained in his own durability and mental toughness, he showed the rest of the field that he is incredibly tough to beat.
Jack Draper with Carlos Alcaraz, after retiring hurt against the Spaniard at the Australian Open in Januuary. Photograph: Mark Baker/AP
Indian Wells marked just Draper’s third tournament of the year. Even though he was desperate to compete again, he was rewarded for his patience and care as he addressed the injury. A long-term partnership with his British coach James Trotman only appears to have strengthened since they opted to end their experiment with Wayne Ferreira last summer and he is now joined by familiar faces in physio Shane Annun and the strength and conditioning coach Matt Little, both of whom worked with Andy Murray for a long time until his retirement. The scheduling and personnel decisions a tennis player makes are essential to success. Draper has surrounded himself with the right people to guide him to greater heights.
The past couple of weeks fully showcased his well-rounded game, which makes him a better tennis player than most other players seeking their first grand slam title. His massive, precise lefty serve has gained so much more consistency in recent years, making him difficult to break. Unlike many big servers, though, Draper is also an elite returner. While he can dominate with his groundstrokes, his defence is also one of his biggest strengths. Additionally now extremely comfortable at the net, he utilizes drop shots to make himself even more unpredictable.
Over the past year, Draper has tried hard to play more courageous, offensive tennis while also making use of his athletic ability and variety. He used his deep toolbox of shots brilliantly in Indian Wells; less than a day after making life hell for an erratic Alcaraz with his brilliant defence, Draper completely hit Holger Rune off the court with his devastating forehand.
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“I just need to keep on the path that I’m going, which is to just keep on trying to play to win, also use my defensive skills and all that, and just try to keep being a more complete version of the player I am now,” said Draper.
As he digested his immense achievement on Sunday, falling to his knees in the middle of the court before putting both hands up to the sky, Draper’s first thoughts were of the adversity and struggles that had preceded this breakthrough. Unsurprisingly, they are never far from his mind. His path to joining the elite of men’s tennis has been tough but it has also served to build his character, intensify his passion and provide him with vital perspective.
No matter how the coming months and years pan out, how close he actually gets towards the even greater successes he is capable of, it is clear that Draper will leave no stone unturned.
