British No 1 Jack Draper has credited changes to his racket strings and service motion for his stunning victory over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, a win that came after a seven-month injury layoff. Draper, 24, beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4 in the fourth round, sealing the match with two aggressive backhands in the deciding tie-break.
Draper sustained a bone bruise to his left arm that forced him off the tour for seven months, prompting him to switch from polyester strings to a hybrid setup with natural gut in the mains. Natural gut, made from cow intestines, is softer and more elastic than polyester, offering greater power and feel but less spin and control. Draper admitted the change was made for health reasons, not performance: “It was to do with doing anything to help my injury be better.”
The switch has required a mental adjustment, as the softer strings cause the ball to fly more. “You can’t take full swings, sometimes you have to adapt to the conditions,” Draper said. “You have to adjust your mindset a little bit and almost play within yourself because the string does a lot of work for you.”
Draper also overhauled his serve, moving from a pinpoint stance to a platform stance, with his feet wider apart for greater stability. This change reduces stress on his upper body. Last year, he won 86.1% of service games, ranking 11th on the ATP Tour. “I definitely looked into how I can make my serve a bit more stable, a bit less going on,” he said.
The victory over Djokovic is a significant milestone for Draper, who is rebuilding his game after injury. His new approach, though still a work in progress, paid off in one of the biggest wins of his career.
