Draper is also human: "I do not approve of these behaviors, but I could not control my anger"

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He wanted it so much that Jack Draper at the tournament that he could not repress his most primal behaviors as he saw the opportunity slipping away. The Briton fell this Saturday in the semifinals of the ATP 500 Queen’s against a Jiri Lehecka who arrived as an underdog but has been showcasing a very high level of tennis throughout the week. Today's lesson will allow the Czech to fight for one of the biggest trophies of his career tomorrow, although first he has to bid farewell to a desolate Draper who left the court disheartened, pained by having failed in the mission to conquer the throne at home.

Appreciating the positive

"I know this is my best result here. Today, I lost against a player who was better than me this time. In the end, you make a couple of mistakes here, a couple of mistakes there, and this is unforgivable at these levels. I feel it has been a solid week; I didn't play my best tennis, but at the same time, I have noticed improvement compared to last season. I gave myself the chance to be in the final tomorrow, but I couldn't hold on in the crucial moments. That's tennis, there is nothing more to add; I will continue working to be better than I am now, I want to do better at Wimbledon."

The breaking point

"In those moments, I was thinking about everything, perhaps about the way I was playing. Ultimately, it is many hours of effort, many hours of hard work to put myself in that position, even though I really tried to rise up and control my energy. When you see something like that happening at a critical moment, it is very difficult to imagine breaking the serve in the next game, although I did everything possible to make it happen. Obviously, I do not approve of this kind of behavior, but it was where I was at that moment. I was trying to give everything I had, I tried to compete on every ball, but in the end, I could not control my anger. I do not want to behave like that, honestly, but that's how I am as a competitor."

Sick during the week

"I have been struggling all week with some physical issues; I am currently suffering from tonsillitis. I haven't been feeling well any day; I did my best to get through each match, some of which were very tough. That explains some ups and downs I had this week, but it's normal when you have to face these guys who serve and play so well. I am proud of the position I took; I think I was very professional, as an athlete, I had no other choice. No one cares about what happens to you off the court; you have to hold it together out there and do the best you can. That's why I'm proud, for giving myself the opportunity."

Retiring was not an option

"I tried to recover, but my body didn't make it easy for me; the last thing I needed was to play 2h30min matches in that heat. Surely, this is not the best recipe to feel better. Today has probably been the day I felt worst, but I never thought of retiring, not at all. I was in the Queen’s semifinals; I probably would have stepped onto the court even with a broken leg, I wouldn't have withdrawn for anything in the world. I went out there to give it all I had; that's why I can be proud. There is no excuse that holds, it's just how I feel, today I lost to an opponent who was better than me at crucial moments. He was braver. I am proud of the effort I made but, at the same time, devastated by the defeat."

From Queen’s to Wimbledon

"Definitely, now I will take a few days off, maybe a couple of rest days. It is definitely what I need; my main goal is to go to Wimbledon as prepared and as fresh as possible. I have a whole week ahead to make it happen; I think it is very positive to have managed to play these four matches on grass before reaching the Grand Slam. Honestly, the main goal has always been Wimbledon, but this is a tournament I have followed since I was a child; I was always very motivated to play here. It hurts a bit more being at home, I take every loss badly, but here the pain is a bit greater. It will take me a couple of days to forget it, but I have a lot of motivation to improve."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Draper también es humano: “No apruebo estos comportamientos, pero no pude controlar mi ira”