Jack Draper’s journey in tennis has been full of challenges and triumphs. Plagued by shoulder, hip, and several other injuries for most of his career, the Brit’s struggle to overcome every challenge has been inspiring, to say the least. The British No. 1’s hard work and resilience are finally paying off. The Stuttgart Open winner is preparing for his quarterfinal clash in Queen’s Club against Tommy Paul. However, the war is far from over. Recalling his struggles on the same court a few years ago, Draper opened up about his “imposter” syndrome.

When the British No. 1 came to the Queen’s Club Championships in 2021, he secured his biggest career win till then. After all, he defeated the then World No. 23, Jannik Sinner, and also reached the quarterfinal. Next year, his reign sadly ended in the Round of 16 after beating Taylor Fritz in the Round of 32. Talking about his feelings back then, he recently said, “Coming here two years ago, beating [then world No 14 Taylor] Fritz, I had just broken the top 100, I felt a bit of an imposter at the tournament. I had been here when I was very young watching Andy play, and it was a completely new experience for me.” 

Tired of waiting for a breakthrough, Jack Draper, who turned pro in 2018, was on the fence about continuing the sport after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a lockdown. His patience and struggle finally bore a sweet fruit in 2022, when he won his first title on tour in Forli, followed by two more Challenger titles in the city. Not only that, his first Masters 1000 match win also showed his prowess on-court.

Unfortunately, in 2023, he could not produce the same result. Struggling with shoulder injuries, he stayed away from tennis for most of the season and did not play in the Queen’s Club either. He said, “Having to miss out on the grass really hurt, but at the same time, I was nowhere near ready.” However, Draper is in his element now.

By defeating the French Open Champion, Carlos Alcaraz, 7-6, 6-3, the world number 28 has earned one of his biggest career wins this season. Winning over the Spaniard for the first time, the left-handed player seems to have finally won over his imposter syndrome. “There is no place I’d rather be than here in London, here on the grass, playing in front of a home crowd,” he concluded. However, there is still a long way to go. Earlier this year, Jack Draper revealed his continued struggles and how he is back with new vigor on-court this season.

Jack Draper sheds light on how he wants to improve his game in this season

Jack Draper’s 2024 season started with a bang in Mexico as he ran to the semifinals. After a quarterfinals in Bavaria, the 22-year-old player stumbled around before finally earning his first ATP Tour title Stuttgart. The journey has not been smooth, especially after last year’s abdominal injuries that compelled him to miss the entire 2023 grass season. 

He said earlier about his struggles, “I had to learn a lot about myself last year, and I dropped outside the Top 100. Had to grind myself back. I feel like I’m just a lot stronger mentally and I have a lot more perspective of being in a good position.”

He further added that his tennis is also improving as compared to last year and shared his goal for the season: “I’m trying to win the points instead of letting the other players make a mistake or something, which is what I feel like I was trying to do last year. I feel like both things I’ve improved.” As Jack Draper moves ahead with his goals, we will likely witness another amazing performance in the Queen’s Club today!