Absorbing hate and the demands of tennis majors, Jack Draper's growth continues

Author: Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday, January 17, 2025

Jack Draper Becoming an expert at weathering Grand Slam storms. The Englishman, playing in his 11th major, has improved in many aspects over the past four seasons.

He dealt with the pressure of being a top prospect at Wimbledon, where he was the focus of the British media for two weeks, and the hostility of foreign crowds at venues such as Roland Garros in the United States.

In the second round, Draper had to endure a raucous atmosphere, which clearly worked against him as he struggled through five sets against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. Young players can easily get distracted by the cacophony, derisive cheers and boos between serves, but instead of complaining, Draper embraced the experience. That was part of the reason he was able to pass the test and win in five sets against Kokkinakis.

“It's awesome,” he said after the victory, his second five-set victory in three straight sets at this year's Australian Open. “Obviously, the atmosphere was electric. Obviously, there was a lot of abuse from the crowd between serves, backcourt and things like that.

Not to worry, Draper said, he kind of likes it because it helps fuel his competitive juices.

“I think sometimes you don't want to piss them off or give them back. But to be fair, it gives me energy. Sometimes I'm down, but then I have a tough game. I feel a little bit, too. It gives me Energy, give it back little by little and it's just a little bit of fun.

a big step forward

Another reason for Draper's success in the majors, that he has now won eight of his last nine? His physical body. Once viewed as fragile, easily injured, and maybe even a bit cursed, Draper is now proving that — at least for him — maturity leads to resilience.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne on Thursday night, he expressed relief at the situation.

“I think it's been really difficult the past few years, having question marks over long games and supporting performance with long games,” he said. “I wouldn't say I'm playing my best tennis. Obviously I've prepared hard. But if anything, I'm really proud of my mentality, my body and the way I compete.

Draper defeated Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(8) in the third round on Friday night, That said seeing hard work pay off is huge.

“This is a big step forward,” he said. “It's hard. I've been doing a lot of physical work for a long time. When people say, 'Oh, you're not fit enough' and that kind of thing, yeah, that's part of it,” Draper explained Said the myriad factors that came with the Grand Slam experience sapped his energy in his early years on tour, but now he's getting the hang of it.

According to ATP media reports, Draper is the seventh player in history to win five sets in the first three rounds of the Australian Open. He joins Adrian Mannarino (2024), Dominik Hrbaty (2006), Thomas Johansson (2005), Felix Mantilla (2003), Nicolas Lapentti (1999) and Steve Denton (1981).

“As a young player, when you play in these big tournaments, you have to deal with the media, the crowds, you're playing in a game that you've dreamed of playing since you were a kid, you're expected to perform well and everything is fine. Those kinds of things. ,” he said, adding:

“I would say it was a little bit too much for me at first. I think especially at the end of last year, I built a lot of confidence in myself, a lot of belief. I think winning the championship and getting to the U.S. Open semifinals, It gives me a sense of security that I'm good enough and that I'm doing the right thing. It also gives me a sense of peace.

Once considered physically fragile, Draper is slowly but surely showing off his Iron Man abilities.

“I think, obviously throughout the five sets, there was this question mark in my mind, can I do this?” he said. “You know, mentally and physically, can my body handle it? I've been doing a lot of work over time.”

The Englishman, who faces Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round, said injuries and issues have helped him delve deeper.

“It seems like maybe by giving my hip some time off, I'll be able to focus on doing some different things. I've been working with a breathing coach a lot, just trying to understand this better. I've always had issues with my sinuses, So I think that really helps, I think just generally staying calm, and I think that helps me last longer.