What a historic moment for the 22-year-old British tennis star! Jack Draper is now just two steps away from clinching his maiden Grand Slam. The young lad has shows a lot of potential since his early days. Although injuries have caused hindrances, it seems he’s well on track to reach the heights he set for himself. Talking about heights on American soil, how can we forget the man who won the US Open twice? Can Draper follow the footsteps of Andre Agassi? Well, at the moment he’s busy trying the iconic footwear of the American tennis legend!

Draper paid a homage to Agassi after securing his spot in the semis as he wore the Nike Air Tech Challenge II ‘Hot Lava’ during his on-court interview. Agassi debuted these shoes in 1989, and Nike has given the iconic pair a new life with a retro look. They were made available for the public on August 30 and will cost you around $150 (adult size). These signature shoes are a testament to Agassi’s legacy on the tennis court. What was Draper’s reaction to these shoes?

Despite having a nostalgic connection, Draper poked fun at these signature shoes. He said, “The thing with Nike is it is such an iconic brand that they have got so many throwbacks. This being the [Andre] Agassi [trainers from] back in the day. I don’t know how he moved with these shoes, honestly. I can’t imagine sliding in these. Unbelievable shoes and I brought them out.” Draper even made a tweet calling it, “Legendary!!!”

However, he’s not the only player to wear these signature shoes! Just a few days ago, even Carlos Alcaraz sported these iconic shoes for his R1 match. He even earned praise from Andre Agassi after that. This year’s US Open tournament has witnessed quite a few players flaunting their iconic on-court and off-court shoes. For example, Frances Tiafoe has been seen recently with his custom-made Air Jordan low tops and even the Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka wore Harajuku-inspired bows paired with her tutu ‘super suit’.

What did Jack Draper say about his recent victory against Alex de Minaur in the QF? Well, during his post-match interview, the Brit made a strange revelation. What was it, though? An unusual ritual that he follows before his matches!

“I think that helped me get used to it today” – Jack Draper reveals his secret to success

He defeated Alex de Mianaur by 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 and he’s all set to play Jannik Sinner in the SF. During his post-match interview, Jack Draper stated, “This is not an overnight thing for me.” He believes he has been putting in constant efforts for a long time now, but somehow things didn’t fall in his favor over the years. Injuries prevented him from bringing out his A-game. Even in this match, he seemed to be struggling due to injury.

Despite all these factors, he revealed that he’s in fact quite proud of his “solid” performance at his first match at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. Jack Draper also spoke about how he usually has a habit of taking a walk around the stadium in the mornings before the crowd starts arriving inside the stadium.

“Every morning it has been a ritual of mine because I practice so early. I have gone and taken a look around while it has been empty. I have been going out not knowing I would play but taking a look because it is one of the most iconic stages in the sport. I think that helped me get used to it today,” said the 22-year-old.

His coach, James Trotman also heaped praise on his mature performance against Alex de Minaur. The coach added that it is just a sign that he’s becoming more comfortable on the bigger stages of the game by playing with these top players in the world. We saw him wear Andre Agassi’s signature shoes, but do you think he can walk in his footsteps?