Jack Draper's Challenging Year and Return to Tennis
There were many moments over the past year when merely watching tennis was difficult for Jack Draper. A year ago, the British player was ranked a career-high No 4, having secured his first Masters 1000 title.
However, the following year proved to be the most challenging of his career. Draper suffered an arm injury—a bruised humerus—that forced him to withdraw from last year’s US Open and miss the Australian Open this year. Additionally, a knee injury in the spring prevented him from competing at the French Open. He made his return to competitive tennis last week at Eastbourne, where he reached the semi-finals.
“It wasn’t easy, especially not watching tennis,” he says. “I just had to stay away from it. It would wind me up to watch tennis because I wanted to be out there. 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, never know when you’re going to be able to do it again.
“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.
“It’s been an incredibly long process. It’s taken a lot out of me mentally coming back and coming back and coming back. At the same time, I feel like I’m in a position now where I can compete at a really high level and really compete with the best players. There was a period, even earlier this year, I was compromising a lot of things. 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.”
Working with Andy Murray and Preparing for Wimbledon
It is fortunate for Draper that he has the support of Andy Murray, the former world No 1 and two-time Wimbledon champion, who joined Draper’s team at the start of the grass-court season. Although Draper had to miss the Queen’s Club tournament, Murray’s presence has been invaluable. Murray, who overcame numerous injuries during his career—including a resurfaced hip—has demonstrated remarkable mental resilience. His experience provides Draper with guidance on managing setbacks.
“Having him around helps a lot,” Draper says. “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.”
Adjustments and Recovery Strategies
Draper has taken extensive measures to facilitate his recovery and return to form. Among these changes, he altered his serving stance, returning to a step-up technique where he begins with his feet apart and then brings the back foot forward to join the front one. He has also worked with a sports psychologist and examined every aspect of his recovery process.
His comeback is a significant boost for British tennis. However, Draper has expressed concern about the prevalence of injuries on the men’s tour, noting the absence of players such as Cameron Norrie from Wimbledon due to a wrist injury.
“When I look at the draws for the weeks when I was out, everything is shoulder, arm, wrist,” Draper says. “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.”
Looking Ahead to Wimbledon
Draper will not have the luxury of easing into Wimbledon, as he faces Taylor Fritz, the No 6 seed, in the first round.
“It’s just important that I focus on my preparation,” the Briton says. “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.”
