Draper, before facing Djokovic: "C'est le défi ultime"

Jack Draper is in luck. After overcoming the injury in his left arm that kept him out of the circuit for six months, the British tennis player has reached the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells 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 playoff match in early February and the Dubai ATP 500, where he lost in the second round. However, in Indian Wells, he is gradually finding his best form, although in the next round he will face a major challenge in taking on Novak Djokovic.

"Novak is the ultimate challenge. For me, he is the greatest 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's one of my first tournaments after my return, and I'm already playing against him, so it will be a great challenge," he said courtside before attending a press conference and delving into the various topics he was asked about.

Preparation for the match with Djokovic

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

Obviously, I think he's the greatest tennis player of all time, in my opinion. His mindset and his level of tennis are always incredibly high. I'll have to play very well and take advantage of my opportunities, but above all, I'm very grateful not only to be here but also to have the chance to play against these guys, continue to improve 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 felt better regarding my tennis, my body, you know, what I expected and said the other day, that every time I go out and get the chance to play, I'll be fine. I think the first set was very high, probably an 8. The second set was probably more of a 4. I had many ups and downs. I managed to push through with a bit of grit and play great tennis, especially when I needed to, at 5-5. That's what I look for. I aim to be consistent throughout the 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 not more because that way I got used to competing again without overloading my workload. 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 really, really good and I'm eager to build on that momentum.

What he did during his time away from tennis

It was tough because it's an individual sport. We spend our lives on the road, away from family, living a life at 160 km/h, without stopping to think about doing normal things. When I got injured, I went on vacation for the first time in, I think, about eight years, so that was interesting. It was tough because I was constantly training during my injury period because if you take too much time off in tennis, you simply lose form completely, and then it's very hard to come back.

I kept working hard. Obviously, being at home, surrounded by my family, is something I don't usually do regularly, 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 going through similar situations

Yes, I spoke to him in the locker room. He asked me how I was. I said fine, and we laughed about how much we had missed, I think he probably more than me. Our injuries were very similar, bone injuries. We laughed because they are unpleasant injuries, not easy. It's not like a muscle strain, where you know when you'll 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's an amazing player. It's also impressive how he's come back. He's winning a lot of matches, reached the final in Doha, and is doing well here. So I wish him all the best; he's a good guy. I like 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, no doubt.

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