Draper explains the big change in today's tennis thanks to Sinner and Alcaraz

Jack Draper was one of the standout names of the recent Indian Wells tournament. The Briton once again shone in an event that has become his natural habitat, proving that he just needs time to become the player who once reached the top 4 of the ATP rankings: his victory over Novak Djokovic in the round of 16 could be the turning point he was desperately looking for.

It's not easy to come back after an injury that keeps you out for eight months. However, it seems that the Briton's body is respecting him, as he has already played a couple of consecutive tournaments and arrives at the 2026 Miami Open with the intention of continuing to accumulate positive weeks for his confidence, tennis, and mentality. He talked about all of this before the start of the tournament, but perhaps what stands out the most is his reflection on the new paradigm of current tennis: according to him, Alcaraz and Sinner lead a style of play that has caused many peers to rethink their tactics in order to come even close to the Spanish and Italian players.

Draper talked about how Alcaraz and Sinner have reshaped the current ATP circuit and what has changed in the circuit during the eight months he had off

- Feelings after Indian Wells

"It was a great week for me. It had been a long time since I played at such a high level for so many days. Returning to the circuit and playing in such an important event like Indian Wells, where I had done so well in the past... was great, obviously. I had great memories of the tournament, returning to such a place was nice, but the most important thing was the victories I achieved. Beating Novak, that night was amazing for me. Now I aim to continue on my way back, to look forward so I can build on this good moment."

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- Were you surprised by the high level you showed in Indian Wells, despite it being relatively soon since your return to the circuit after a long injury?

"No, not entirely, because being absent from the circuit for eight months doesn't mean I stopped playing altogether. I haven't played competitively, but I've been working every day on the training courts, I haven't taken breaks: I didn't know my exact return date, but I knew that day would come, so I had to work every day to make sure that when that moment arrived, I would be able to play tennis at a very high level. This shows all my willpower and work ethic, but beyond that, playing at this level again is a great feeling. It's a start: I feel I can still do more and play better."

- About not only fine-tuning his tennis but also his mindset in his return, something that may have been a bit more challenging

"Since my return, there have been ups and downs in my level. Sometimes good tennis, sometimes not so good, and at this level, you can't get away with being a little lazy. When I talk about the mental aspect, I mean how I approach the match, my consistency, because the world's best rely on their consistency. Perhaps I will need more time to regain that aspect, but I approach it very positively, I trust that if I continue to give my best, I will reach that point. I need experience, matches; I can draw on my experience from recent years, but I'm a new player, I need to find my current rhythm again. It's not easy, there are incredible players on the circuit who make things very difficult for you. I need more matches, more time, and more exposure to the circuit, but all of that will come."

- What has changed in the circuit since you returned? Do you feel that players are more aggressive?

"Players know what Alcaraz and Sinner are doing, what they base their game on since reaching the top, even for a while. There comes a time when you have to change, you don't have another option. Names like Medvedev, Zverev... are probably tired of losing in the final stages of tournaments to opponents who are very aggressive, who go for points. I think this is how tennis is played right now: you have to go to win, not just let victory happen. I would define it that way. It's great that players want to change; it shows there is a lot of competitiveness and that players are hungry to win."

- Himself, very eager to succeed in Miami

"Yes, I'm really looking forward to playing here, I've been watching this tournament since I was little. I've never performed as well as I would like here, so it was a tournament I wanted to come back to, to improve on my previous performances. I'm very excited, I hope to go far."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Draper explica el gran cambio en el tenis actual gracias a Sinner y Alcaraz