At 22, Draper, ranked 40th in the world this week, came close to quitting: "I really thought about what my life would be like if I didn't play tennis."

© AFP

Elio Valotto

le 10/05/2024 à 09h10

2 min to read

Acapulco Adélaïde Bergame Coric De Minaur Draper Goffin Lehecka Mannarino Rome Sofia

Jack Draper is off to a promising start to his career. A professional since 2018 (then aged 16), the Briton has already stabilized in the world's top 50. Yet his early seasons were anything but tranquil. Suffering from chronic back and hip injuries, the British hopeful could have stopped his career before it even got off the ground.

Having made a successful debut in Rome, defeating Borna Coric (7-5, 6-1), the world number 40 spoke to The Guardian. In particular, he explained that his career might well not have taken off, stressing how difficult it is for a young player to make the leap from the smaller, secondary tournaments to the world's most prestigious ones. Indeed, going from a wild crowd to a small Challenger tournament, where hardly anyone follows the matches, is not always easy: "When you're young, you think that tennis is all about extraordinary things, Wimbledon and all the rest. Then, when you enter the professional circuit, you realize that it's not like that at all. You have to work hard in tournaments, where nobody's watching you. Nobody's interested in you. You have to beat really good players right from the start."

The 22-year-old left-hander also talked about his recurring physical ailments, which for a long time made him doubt his ability to become a great player. He explains that his greatest victory lies in his ability to tame his own physique: "I had this chronic hip problem and I thought about stopping again. I really thought about what my life would be like if I didn't play tennis. [...] I worked very hard to get my body in good shape. I think even though the results have been okay, the biggest result is my body, how I'm able to keep playing every week and not collapse. [...] You might not see the results right away, but if you improve every day, then you'll get big results. [...] I've been working for many years and I'm going to keep doing it."

After a very strong end to 2023 and start to 2024 (title at the Bergamo Challenger, final in Sofia and Adelaide and semi-final in Acapulco), Draper's subsequent season has been a little less consistent. In Rome, he has the opportunity to get back on track. This will begin with a huge challenge, as he faces the defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the second round.