Draper: “Maybe not having reached the goal helps me to envive my enthusiasm” | ATP Tour

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Draper: “Maybe not having reached the goal helps me to envive my enthusiasm”

The Briton will be No. 5 of the world after being a finalist in Madrid

May 04, 2025

Jack Draper stayed at the gates of the title on Sunday night at the Mutua Madrid Open, but the British left -hander is already preparing to transform that pain into motivation.

“Of course, after losing such a difficult final, it hurts a lot,” said Draper, who fell into the third set against Casper Ruud. “But at the same time, I think I enjoyed many successes here. I have won many games, so maybe this defeat, and perhaps be in a final and not have reached the goal, help me to enliven my enthusiasm, to continue trying, to continue improving.”

After missing the first weeks of the season due to injury, Draper has accumulated a record of 19-5 in 2025, according to the Victories/Fosys defeat index. In addition, he won his first 1000 Masters title in Indian Wells. After reaching the finals of the ATP Tour in Doha and now in Madrid, the 23 -year -old will amount to number 5, his best personal brand, at the PIF ATP Rankings, surpassing Novak Djokovic.

“I am very proud of how I have been in the first months of this season,” Draper reflected in Madrid. “I think the exciting thing is that I have much more ahead. I feel that there are still aspects of my game that I can improve a lot, and that is very motivating for me, my coach and my team.”

“Honestly, I feel that I am at the beginning of my path, so I will continue to improve, trying to the fullest and remembering these difficult moments to continue motivating me to be better.”

Ruud arrived at the final of Sunday looking for his twelfth atp tour in whipped land. In contrast, Draper disputed his first final of the circuit on that surface. Despite this disparity in beaten land experience, Draper impressed throughout the first confrontation Lexus ATP Head2head between them, with only some small level lapses that made a difference.

“I did not feel that his level would really go down, except by a couple of double fouls he committed,” Draper said over the triumph of Ruud 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. “While my level at a couple of moments of the game simply lowered a little, and that was the difference. It is impossible, especially at this level against a player of that caliber and in whipped land.”

“I think there were many good things, but only in a couple of key moments, I felt that his level remained and mine may come down a little.”

Draper will compete soon in Rome, in the internali bnl d’Italia, before closing his spotted earth season in Roland Garros. No one will want to face it on that surface despite its inexperience in it.

“When I got here I felt very good on the track,” Draper explained. “I am learning to slide better towards the ball. I suppose I am very proud of my mentality in whipped land.” Maybe Andy [Murray] I was in the same situation, because obviously he did very well on beaten land, but it is easy for someone from the United Kingdom, for example, who does not play much on this surface, think: ‘I am not very good in this. I’m not going to be good. ‘

“I know that it will be a challenge for me, but I will do my best to do it well and find ways to be effective. I am proud of how I have approached it, and I think that with that mentality you can get very far. I am very proud of it and to open new paths.”