Draper Praises Arnaldi Ahead of Their Clash in Madrid: "He Scored a Big Win Against Djokovic, It’s a Huge Boost for His Confidence"

Jack Draper has reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters 1000. The British player, ranked 6th in the world, is on a strong run after winning Indian Wells several weeks ago. The left-hander defeated Tallon Griekspoor, Matteo Berrettini (via retirement), and Tommy Paul to advance to the last eight.

On Thursday, May 1st, he will face Matteo Arnaldi for a spot in the semifinals. Arnaldi has already taken down Novak Djokovic and Frances Tiafoe on his way to this stage.

"Matteo is a very strong young player who loves clay. He had a great win against Novak Djokovic this week, and I think that’s a huge boost for his confidence.

I believe he’s been aiming for the top 30 for a while now. What stands out to me is that he’s a true professional. Every time I see him around, he’s always doing the right things.

He’s completely dedicated to the sport. It’s going to be a very tough match—he’s also in the quarterfinals, playing well and feeling confident. But I feel ready. With my coach, we’ve been studying serve patterns and preferred return positions.

But most importantly, preparation is all about me. It’s about what I’m going to do to bring my best on the court, to compete and play at my highest level.

The key is to give everything on every point, to play the way I know I can, and then the rest will take care of itself," he told Super Tennis in recent hours.