Jack Draper's Challenging Year
Jack Draper has endured the most difficult year of his career since reaching a career-high ranking of No. 4 and winning his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells. An arm injury—a bruised humerus—forced him to withdraw from the US Open and miss the Australian Open, while a knee injury in the spring sidelined him from the French Open. He returned to action last week at Eastbourne, reaching the semi-finals.
Draper admitted that watching tennis during his recovery was painful. "It wasn't easy, especially not watching tennis," he said. "I just had to stay away from it. It would wind me up to watch tennis because I wanted to be out there." He focused on other aspects of his game, including mental preparation, and maintained his physical fitness. "I spent a lot of time working on other areas of my tennis, like my mental side. I didn't stop physically. I tried to stay as fit as I could because that's the thing—you never know when you're going to turn the corner."
Reflecting on his rapid rise and sudden setback, Draper noted, "Coming here last year as four in the world, I was feeling incredible and looking forward to everything that was to come. I felt like I was gradually building up and up and up, confidence in my tennis, in my body, in my mind. Then you have something that stops you in your tracks when you're not expecting it. It's really difficult to accept that."
Andy Murray's Influence
Draper has enlisted the help of two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, who joined his team at the start of the grass season. Despite missing the Queen's Club tournament, Murray's presence has been invaluable. Murray, who overcame numerous injuries in his career, including a resurfaced hip, provides guidance and inspiration.
"Having him around helps a lot," Draper said. "He's one of my biggest inspirations. Him just being here … not just now but the last few weeks, has really helped my confidence. It's not been an easy time at all. Him being around to help guide me through this period, get me back to being on court, get me back to competing, has been very, very special. I think it's just the start."
Changes and Recovery
Draper has made significant adjustments to his game, including altering his serving stance to a step-up motion, where he starts with feet apart and brings the back foot forward to join the front. He has also worked with a sports psychologist and explored every aspect of recovery. "I was compromising a lot of things earlier this year. I was using gut strings, changing different areas in my game, practising hardly at all. Now I'm in a position where I've got that load for my body and I'm able to go out there and compete."
Concerns About Injuries on Tour
Draper expressed concern about the high number of injuries on the men's tour, noting that players like Carlos Alcaraz are missing Wimbledon with wrist injuries. "When I look at the draws for the weeks when I was out, everything is shoulder, arm, wrist," Draper said. "Whether that's the quality of the balls … the way athletes are getting better and hitting the ball harder and moving better, I think they need to really take a close look at what we're doing on tour, definitely the state of the Masters 1000s, the 12-day events. I think the tournaments are going to suffer a lot if not much changes."
First-Round Challenge: Taylor Fritz
Draper's return to Wimbledon will not be easy, as he faces No. 6 seed Taylor Fritz in the first round. "It's just important that I focus on my preparation," Draper said. "I believe that I can obviously win the match. But I need to play incredible tennis and need to compete really hard, need to be ready for it."
