Draper on the reward for not giving up: “I had moments when I thought about stopping” | ATP Tour

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Draper and the reward for not giving up: “I had moments when I thought about stopping”

The 22-year-old left-hander will play his first Grand Slam SF on Friday

September 04, 2024

Jack Draper burst onto the scene in 2022 and looked set to quickly ascend to the top of the sport. But the 22-year-old left-hander has had to be patient to pull off Wednesday’s US Open triumph, the biggest of his career so far.

“This isn’t something that happens overnight for me. I’ve been thinking for a long time that I’ve been trying hard and doing things right. I knew my time would come,” Draper said after advancing to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time. “I didn’t know when it would be, but I hope that from now on I can do a lot of amazing things. I’m very proud of myself.”

“I had moments where I maybe thought about stopping or things like, ‘Am I cut out for this sport? Am I really good enough?’”

“I kept believing in myself, I kept working. These are tough times. It’s a privilege and an honour to be in this position. That’s why I work so hard, so I have to keep going at my pace. I’m not afraid of being in these positions.”

Injuries have routinely hampered the Briton’s progress. Even in his 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 quarter-final win against Alex de Minaur, Draper had a brief injury scare. He began by stretching his right leg, which was taped by the physiotherapist when he was 2-1 up in the second set, but that did not hamper Draper’s march to victory.

Draper has been enjoying the form of his life in recent months, claiming his first tour-level title in Stuttgart and now the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows. Regardless of what happens in his semi-final, Draper’s dream run has already ensured that the left-hander breaks into the Top 20 for the first time.

“I’ve been working really hard for a long time. I would say last year was a real turning point for me, when I had injury setbacks and took a lot of time off over the summer because of my shoulder injury,” said Draper, No. 20 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“I had to watch all these young players win amazing tournaments. I felt like I just wasn’t doing enough to get to that point.”

Now the 25th seed is in the spotlight. Draper is the only player who has not dropped a set this fortnight.

“I think coming here this week I’ve felt like a more complete player,” Draper said. “Physically, I’ve always been a little bit worried, maybe in the past, about playing five sets and mentally and emotionally it was too much for me. I was thinking, ‘Am I good enough to play the best in a best-of-five?’”

“I still feel like I have a lot left to do, I’m not worried about whether it lasts longer, whether it lasts a long time. It gives me a lot of peace of mind knowing that my body feels good or strong and that I’m ready to go all the way if I have to. I feel very strong out there, so that’s something that has really improved for me.”

Draper’s trainer James Trotman added that the Sutton native’s physical improvements have been key to his charge’s recent success.

“Jack has played some very high-level tennis in the past, but physically it’s been a struggle,” Trotman said. “He’s a big kid, he’s got a big body. It takes time to grow into that. He’s had a lot of injuries and a lot of setbacks, so you can’t count on that constant work.”