Draper, before facing Djokovic: "It's the ultimate challenge"

Jack Draper is in luck. After overcoming the injury in his left arm that kept him away from the circuit for six months, the British tennis player has reached the round of 16 at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 with a great victory over Fran Cerúndolo. His next opponent will be Novak Djokovic, whom he has praised and labeled as the greatest tennis player of all time.

Since his withdrawal from the US Open 2025, Draper has barely played two tournaments before the first Masters 1000 of the year, where he defends last year's title. The British tennis player played a Davis Cup qualifying match in early February and the Dubai ATP 500, where he lost in the second round. However, in Indian Wells, he is gradually rediscovering his best form, although in the next round he will face a major challenge when he faces Novak Djokovic.

"Novak is the ultimate challenge. For me, he is the best tennis player of all time. I have a lot of respect for him, for what he has done and what he continues to do. These are the kind of matches for which I put in so much work and effort. It is one of my first tournaments after my return, and I am already playing against him, so it will be a great challenge," he said on court before going to the press conference and delving into the various topics he was asked about.

Preparation for the Djokovic match

Tomorrow I have the day off to prepare for that. Today was a decent performance, and I am happy with how I played, especially in the first set. The second set was a bit erratic, a bit unstable, but the conditions were tough, and I managed to get through and play well when I needed to. I am looking forward to Wednesday. I haven't watched much of Novak's matches, but I know what to expect from him. I have been watching him since he was young. 

Obviously, I think he is the best tennis player of all time, in my opinion. His mentality and his level of tennis are always incredibly high. I will have to play very well and take advantage of my opportunities, but above all, I am very grateful not only to be here but also to have the opportunity to play against these guys, continue improving my level, and give myself another chance to compete on the stages where I want to be.

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Level shown against Cerúndolo 

Without a doubt, I went out feeling better regarding my tennis, my body, you know, what I expected and said the other day, that every time I go out and give myself the opportunity to play, I will be fine. I think the first set was very high, probably an 8. The second set was probably more like a 4. I had a lot of ups and downs. I managed to fight through with a bit of grit and play great tennis, especially when I needed it, at 5-5. That's what I'm looking for. I aim to be consistent throughout the whole match. I think that will come as I play more.

Physical sensations

I feel very good. I think it was probably good that I played a couple of matches in Dubai and no more because it helped me get back to competing without overloading my workload too much. I was able to come here, train for a week, and play a three-set match in the first round to spend more time on the court. I feel very, very good and am looking forward to building on that momentum.

What did you do during your time away from tennis

It was difficult because it is an individual sport. We spend our lives on the road, apart from family, and live life at 100 mph, without stopping to think about doing normal things. When I got injured, I went on vacation for the first time in, I think, eight years, so it was interesting. It was tough because I was training constantly during my injury period because if you take too much time off in tennis, you just completely lose fitness, and then it's very difficult to come back.

I kept working hard. Obviously, being at home, surrounded by my family, is something I don't usually do, so it was very nice. I also spent a lot of time in the UK. I love the UK, so it was also nice to be there. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Just day by day, trying to get my arm back to where it needed to be. I didn't know when I would be able to return to the courts and be strong, but I knew I had to work very hard consistently.

Conversation with Fils after experiencing similar situations

Yes, I spoke with him in the locker room. He asked me how I was. I said I was fine, and we laughed about how much we had missed out on, I think probably more him than me. Our injuries were very similar, bone injuries. We laughed because they are nasty injuries, not easy. It's not like a muscle strain, where you know when you will recover. It's a very long process. I didn't go into details with him, but I imagine he went through the same as me because I know the process of bone injuries, and they are long and tough.

I have a lot of respect for Arthur. I think he is an amazing player. It's also impressive how he has come back. He is winning a lot of matches, reached the final in Doha, and is doing well here. So I wish him the best; he is a good guy. I enjoy watching him play, I think he has a lot of talent. He has a very good attitude. He shows a lot of energy, is very brave, and competes strongly. It's good for French tennis to have a player like him, without a doubt.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Draper, antes de enfrentarse a Djokovic: "Es el desafío definitivo"