Draper: "I have always believed that my moment would come"

Carlos Navarro | 5 Sep 2024 | 01.58

Jack Draper secures his spot in the semifinals. Source: Getty

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Jack Draper continues his dream adventure at the US Open 2024. New York is at the feet of the Briton, who thinks quickly and executes swiftly on courts that give his serve a considerable boost. After defeating Alex de Miñaur to secure his first ticket to a Grand Slam semifinal, it's needless to say that the Briton's face exuded confidence and joy... but at the same time, the feeling that his mind is fully focused on the challenge ahead. Can Jack go even further? In press conference, the young promise turned reality opened up about the moments that made him stumble.

- Feelings after the victory in the quarterfinals vs de Miñaur

"It was a solid match on my part. It was my first match in the Ashe, my first quarter-finals, the experience was certainly different. I had faced Alex several times before and knew he was a tough competitor. I think it was a very solid match overall, I'm proud of my performance. There were some ups and downs, but I believe I served quite well and did a good job to progress to the next round."

- About the bandage on his leg from the second set: Worried for the match on Friday?

"I felt something on set point in the first set. I was a bit worried at that moment, but I could play two full sets with it. One of the things that has helped me a lot this year is being better mentally. I'm aware that I'm playing and competing a lot, putting my body in extreme situations, so it's logical that along the way I pick up some discomforts and injuries, but I have to keep going. After all, it didn't get worse, and I felt very good towards the end of the match. I'm happy that didn't become an issue."

- Beyond always believing he could achieve big things, isn't he surprised by the calmness he's showing?

"It's strange. To be honest with you, I don't think I've thought about anything yet. Not too many things are crossing my mind. It's quite peculiar, I just focus on what's important, on what I need to keep doing for the next match. Right now, I'm focused on recovery, on staying away from my mobile phone, on enjoying the victories and not taking these moments for granted. I've been working extremely hard for a long time. I would say last year was a turning point for me. Due to my injury issues and all the time I was out during the summer because of my shoulder injury, I had to see all these young and great players win incredible tournaments. I felt like I wasn't doing enough to reach that point.

I don't feel like this happened overnight. I've been believing for a long time that I'm working hard and doing everything right, that at some point my moment would come. I didn't know when it would be, but I hope from here on I can achieve incredible things. I'm very proud of myself."

- Why does he feel his moment has come now? Is he ready for anything?

"I had never reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal before, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't. I do know I have amazing people around me, a great team. I don't feel overwhelmed by the situations I'm experiencing. I try to stay away from the phone, do things that make me happy and are important. As I mentioned before, having gone through many tough moments throughout my career, with injuries and discomfort, where I thought maybe I should quit this sport... I kept trusting myself, kept working. Those moments are tough. Compared to that, this is a privilege, being in this place is an honor. That's why I work so hard. I'm not afraid of reaching this point. I want to keep doing this, this is why I play tennis."

- What is he most satisfied with after five matches

"I feel like I'm becoming a somewhat more complete player. Maybe in the past, I worried a bit physically about playing five sets, thought that mentally and emotionally it might be too much for me, questioned if I was good enough to face the best in the best-of-five sets. I still feel I have a lot to give, I'm not worried if the match goes the distance. Knowing that my body is fine and I can go to a fifth set if needed gives me a lot of confidence.

Also, I feel like my tennis is flowing, that I don't expend much energy on each point. When I started playing a more aggressive tennis, I thought maybe I had to push hard and use a lot of energy. However, when we see the best in the world, there's one thing they excel at: they do everything effortlessly, with great efficiency. I'm also working very hard physically, which helps me be more efficient and conserve energy. I feel very strong out there, that has improved."

- About a possible semifinal match against Jannik Sinner, a close friend

"We've always stayed in touch since I joined the circuit a couple of years ago. Jannik is a good friend, someone I consider close. We exchange messages in good and bad times. When you're young, this is a very tough sport. You're constantly on the road, facing a ruthless sport both physically and emotionally, and it can get tough if you don't have many friends. Having the support of someone else going through the same thing is fantastic. I have immense respect for Jannik, it was great to play with him in doubles in Montreal. I had never won a doubles match on the circuit, so playing with the world number one was incredible, I learned a lot about this format. I'm sure we'll stay in touch for a long time".

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Draper: "Siempre he creído que mi momento llegaría"

Jack Draper