Draper: "Alcaraz is already a legend"

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Jack Draper has many reasons to smile. The British tennis player is back on the circuit after being sidelined for six months due to a shoulder injury, a break he used to make changes in his game and mentality. Nevertheless, he has been following what has happened on the circuit and has praised Carlos Alcaraz as "a legend" after completing the Career Grand Slam.

Draper is one of the few who defeated the player from Murcia in 2025, but after the US Open, he couldn't compete further due to yet another physical setback in his career. Although it has been hard for him to watch tennis, he did have time to witness Alcaraz being crowned at the Australian Open. "I didn't watch much of the Australian Open, just a bit of the final. It was tough to watch knowing that I couldn't be there. Alcaraz won and I think he is a great champion and he's already a tennis legend," he stated in an interview with Tennis Weekly.

The British tennis player expressed a lot of joy for the world number one, acknowledging that "watching him win the Career Grand Slam was nice. I wouldn't be a good competitor if I didn't want to be there with them. Part of me didn't want to watch because I know it hurts, but at the same time it's good to see what these guys are achieving to use that as fuel for myself." Now that he is back, Carlos will be one of the players he will look up to in order to return to the top of the rankings.

Draper returns with a victory, and changes in his serve

Draper has not wasted any time; today he defeated Viktor Durasovic with a double 6-2 to give Great Britain the first point in the Davis Cup tie against Norway. "I missed competing, and playing a match with an atmosphere in the crowd. I'm very happy to be here with the team and I'm sure we'll have a good time these days," he said in an interview with a Sky Sports journalist before the match.

Draper has taken the saying 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade' quite literally, allowing him to face the injury with the right mindset. "The life we tennis players have makes you live at 100 miles per hour all the time, and with the injury, I've been able to slow down a bit and reflect both as a player and as a person. I've thought about what I can do better both on and off the court. I've clarified things about my future and I've made changes for the better," he revealed.

In fact, he showed ambition and sent a warning to the rest of the circuit for the upcoming tournaments. "We might see the best Draper very soon. It's possible. I've worked very hard, and I would say I'm a better player than I was six months ago. It's a confidence sport, where you play better the more you compete, but I feel very confident. I've made sure to leave behind the injury I was carrying to come back stronger. Additionally, I've changed the serving motion, and I believe that will benefit me," he explained.

Mentality, key in Draper's recovery

According to him, when you go through situations like his, you have to be aware of where you come from, and especially where you want to go. "When you don't compete, you're in a kind of hole, and you have to learn to get out of there. With such a long injury, you have to work very hard, and there have obviously been many tough moments for both me and my team and family. But those are the moments when you have to stay strong, and I'm grateful for living this life. I have a great vision of myself, and that's what motivates me and gives me confidence," he concluded.

The former world number four is only 24 years old and has a whole career ahead of him, but he speaks as if he has been on the circuit for 20 years. The good thing about having suffered so many injuries is that he already knows how to recover from them, and analyzing his first match after his injury, his words gain even more value. If his physical condition holds up, there is no doubt that Draper will compete for the most important tournaments on the circuit, and probably sooner than most think.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Draper: "Alcaraz ya es una leyenda"