Among the players who most surprised fans at the 2024 US Open is definitely Jack Draper, who reached the semi-finals in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career. The young Briton has made the best of his elimination of Carlos Alcaraz, who was defeated in the second round by Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Jack didn’t lose a set until the semi-finals, where he played a great match against world number 1 Jannik Sinner on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. Draper struggled especially in the first two sets, where he put in serious difficulty the Italian ace, good at making a difference in the decisive moments of both sets.
The heat and humidity are really tough conditions that day and the British ace even threw up on the pitch. Exhausted and without any energy, Jack quit in the third set and did not resist the two-time Grand Slam champion. If he manages to improve physically and make a last step from the technical point of view, Draper has the right weapons to enter the Top 10 and aim to win the most prestigious titles. The English player will be one of the protagonists in the last part of the season, with tournaments that present conditions very suitable for his style of play.
A very promising talent
Draper is one of the most promising young talents on the men’s tour and it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the coming months. The young British talent has lived through a difficult period, mainly related to various injuries but in the last year it finally exploded, reached the Top 20 and recently – a few days ago – won the semifinal of the US Open. Only the great Jannik Sinner, the number one in the world, managed to stop the young Briton but Draper is in great shape and is in Manchester to try to help his Britain to overcome the Davis Cup group.
In the past, Draper came to Davis in a second-tier role while now he is the British number one. The Davis Cup website reports its statements: “I feel good in this new role, last year with Murray and Norrie was a great experience and playing in front of the crowded Manchester audience is extraordinary. The team is there, even rotating we remain a competitive group and hope to do a great job. What does the Davis Cup mean? The truth is, it’s very interesting. Before playing it is difficult to understand the meaning but it is a very prestigious event and it is great to play for your country.
Compared to the other years this year I had less time to rest but it happens also to others and is something that I do not have to think about, then play at home. US Open? I’m doing very well after this tournament, reaching the semi-finals of a Slam is great and it shows that I am working well. Obviously I still have a lot to improve, now I want to do well here and then I’ll go to Asia. I just want – when I have time – to look back and say that I’m proud of myself. Tennis is a sport for present, we can not win every week and therefore every week needs to learn and adapt to the challenges that we face”, he concluded.
Jack accumulates experience
The match against Sinner in New York allowed Draper to see where he could improve: “I think it was obviously a very physical match. Obviously that’s why Jannik is the No 1 player in the world, because when you play the top players, the intensity is different. You know, it’s a step up.
I think obviously it’s a big occasion for me. I definitely felt, even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around. I’m definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. I think when you add all that together sometimes I do feel a bit nauseous on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough. I didn’t have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up.”
He also added: “I’m gaining more and more experience as a player and that’s what is helping me this season to feel better, the more experiences you have from situations, things will become easier. Take it easy. Jannik has been through this situation several times, so he can identify with the feelings. [… ] Have a very strong mentality and spend a lot of mental energy because I long for things. Although that does not help much sometimes, especially in these games to 5 sets. That anxiety can accumulate. It is a strength, but also a weakness and I must work on it”.
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