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

Author: Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, January 15, 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 spectators at venues such as Roland Garros in the United States.

Last night, Draper had to endure a raucous atmosphere that clearly wasn’t good for him as he struggled through five sets against Australia’s 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’s part of the reason he was able to pass the test last night and advance in five electric games.

“This is great,” he said. “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 The energy, bit by bit, came back to me and it was just a bit of fun.

a big step forward

Another reason for Draper’s success in the majors, that he has now won seven of his last eight? 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, who will face Australian Alexander Vukic in the third round, said it was huge to see the hard work pay off.

“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.

“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.

“Instead of having a lot on my shoulders, I feel a lot calmer and I feel a lot lighter. Sometimes it’s hard for me to practice a lot because I know I need to get better and I know I need to be better at my Game-wise, but what really gets me going and I think separates me from a lot of players is my competitiveness, like, natural. Obviously, playing against a great player from Tanasi in an atmosphere like this, that’s what I play tennis for.