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18 Mar 2026 | 15.51
Jack Draper was one of the big names of the recent Indian Wells tournament. The Briton shone once again in an event that has become his natural habitat, proving that he just needs time to return to the player who once made it to 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 calling for.
It's not easy to come back after an injury that keeps you sidelined 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 is approaching the 2026 Miami Open with the intention of adding more positive weeks to his confidence, tennis, and mentality. He discussed all of this before the start of the tournament, but perhaps most noteworthy is the reflection he made on the new paradigm of current tennis: according to him, Alcaraz and Sinner lead a style of play that has led many colleagues to rethink their tactics to get closer to the Spanish and Italian players.
Draper talked about how Alcaraz and Sinner have reshaped the current ATP circuit and what has changed on the circuit during the eight months of his break.
- Feelings after Indian Wells
"It was a great week for me. It had been a long time since I played such high-level tennis for so many days. Returning to the circuit and playing in such an important event like Indian Wells, where I had performed so well in the past... was fantastic, obviously. I had great memories of the tournament; returning to such a place was beautiful, but the most important thing was the victories I achieved. Beating Novak, that night was impressive for me. Now I aim to continue moving forward on my comeback journey, look ahead to lean on this good moment."
- Were you surprised by the high level you showed at Indian Wells, despite having recently returned to the circuit after a long injury?
"No, not entirely, because being out of the circuit for eight months doesn't mean I stopped playing altogether. I haven't played at a competitive level, but I have been training on the courts every day, not taking any breaks: I didn't know my exact return date, but I knew it would come, so I had to work every day to ensure 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 feels great. It's a start: I feel I can still push further and play better."
- Not only fine-tuning your tennis but also your mentality on your return, something that might have been a bit more challenging for you
"Since my return, there have been ups and downs in my game. Sometimes good tennis, sometimes not so good, and at this level, you can't get away with being a bit lazy. When I talk about the mental aspect, I refer to how I approach the match, to my consistency because the world's best rely on their consistency. Maybe I will need some more time to recover that aspect, but I approach it very positively, confident that if I keep giving my best, I will reach that point. I need experience, matches; I can build on my experience from the last few 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 that will come."
- What has changed on the circuit since your return? Do you feel that players are more aggressive?
"The players know what Alcaraz and Sinner are doing, what they base their game on since they reached the top, even for some time. There comes a moment when you have to change; you have no other choice. Names like Medvedev, Zverev... are probably tired of losing in the final rounds of tournaments to opponents who are very aggressive, who go for the points. I think this is how tennis is played right now: you must play to win, not just let the victory happen. That's how I would define it. It's great that players want to change; it shows there is a lot of competitiveness and that players are hungry to win."
- Himself, with a great desire 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 return to, to improve on my previous performances. I'm excited, hoping to go far."
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Draper explica el gran cambio en el tenis actual gracias a Sinner y Alcaraz
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