Draper, before facing Alcaraz: "I know the tennis that will make me"

He is becoming one of the standout names of this season. Jack Draper continues to surprise everyone with the great leap he has made in 2025, already being the second best so far this year. Already in the quarterfinals of the ATP Rome, we wanted to see him play on slower courts than Madrid, and here in the Italian capital, he has already gone tremendously far. Now, facing Carlos Alcaraz, he encounters one of the tough opponents on this surface.

Because if Draper wants to test where his level on clay can be and if his improvement is such, especially in the area of his forehand. His opponents highlight the power and heaviness of the ball that the British player is capable of producing, standing in front of Carlitos with a victory in their last duel against the El Palmar player and eager to make a statement, demonstrating to everyone that he is up for any challenge, including clay courts.

Discomfort of facing someone like Moutet

I don't think I have played against many people like him before today. He came out and, yes... I felt strange from the beginning. In fact, I started quite well, but as we got into the match, I felt very uncomfortable. I didn't really know what to do. I let that first set slip away a bit. I started the second from scratch. I knew I had to change some things tactically, like being present in every point because his level wasn't going to drop. I knew that. I'm really happy with how I solved the problem. I think there are many lessons I can learn from that match.

I was very frustrated

That's one of his strengths. He frustrates his opponents. There aren't many like him. His drop shots are incredible. Especially on this surface, his best one to play on. Tactically, I think he had a very clear game plan from the start. He moved around his backhand very well. He started volleying a lot more. I was a little surprised by the game he brought to the table. It's important at this stage of my career to solve these kinds of situations like the ones I had today.

Now, facing Alcaraz

Both of us are among the top five in the world. I don't think about whether he is elite or not, I just see it as two guys playing great tennis, wanting to beat each other and be competitive. I have a lot of respect for him. I know the tennis he will bring to me. It will be very difficult for me to beat him. However, I feel strong about this match.

What has changed in his level leap

Nothing. I've just tried to be as consistent as possible in training, listening to my coach, conserving energy off the court. I don't feel like I've changed much. I'm just trying to improve as a tennis player, and making sure to bring my best version in matches. I feel like I'm progressing, and hopefully, I can take another step this week.

The process of changing his forehand

When I was young, the backhand was my favorite shot. The one I could hit a hundred times with my eyes closed. As if it were effortless. The forehand took me more time to develop. It was with my former coach, Ryan, at 16, and it wasn't until my current coach, James, that we made some changes. I always thought my forehand could be a weapon, although it was also a weakness. When pressured on that side, I couldn't handle it. I wasn't delivering the ball as I wanted. We worked on my body position. On hitting forward. I think, to improve the forehand, you have to hit it forward and position your body well to be effective. I am still doing work to progress with it.

More about his forehand

If you look at Rafa Nadal's forehand in 2009, it is completely different from 2008 and also from 2010. As a tennis player, you go through natural changes over the years. Sometimes you don't even think about them. I still try to adjust to fast shots, like having a slight setup, and things like that. I still have a lot to develop.

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