A new chapter has unfolded in Jack Draper’s quest for tennis success! The British sensation, known for his fearless strokes, has assembled a dream team this season to propel him to new heights. It includes adding Frances Tiafoe’s ex-coach, Wayne Ferreira, to his training team. It worked like a miracle for the 22-year-old player who bagged his first title soon after bringing in the change! As a result, fans are wondering what secret sauce Ferreira has been adding to refine Draper’s skills even more. Worry not! The British tennis player has finally spilled the beans on the matter!

Draper, who turned pro in 2018, had a strong start to the season this year by entering the final round at the Adelaide International. This should’ve been the start of his unyielding reign in the sport, after making his top-40 debut last year. Unfortunately, his lack of consistency became the point of concern in his game, as he failed to deliver a similar performance following that match. Although a semifinal appearance in the Mexican Open might have increased his confidence a little bit, his back-to-back early-round defeats after that further pulled him down. 

The London-based player knew it called for a transformative force, which could reshape his career trajectory. Enter the fifteen singles titles winner, Ferreira! The 52-year-old Ferreira’s arrival has provided a fresh voice, urging Draper to adopt a more aggressive playing style. Ferreira’s influence has shown promise at the Cincinnati Masters as well, where he swept past Stefanos Tsitsipas recently. Following his 2024 Cincinnati second round victory, Draper sat down with the Tennis Channel.

During the interview, The host asked Draper, “This year you added Wayne Ferreira onto your team in May. You had tremendous success after that. You pick up your first title in Stuttgart. How is that relationship been?” Highlighting the positive changes that Ferreira, Tiafoe’s coach for nearly three years, has made to his game, Draper answered,

“I have been coached by James Trotman for the last 2 years. He is still my coach. But we felt like we wanted to add someone to the team who cannot only manage the load of being on the road all the time because most of these coaches have families they have a life. So having Wayne come on board and give all his advice and obviously getting to number 6 in the world and coaching, Frances to being top 10, I think he has incredible value.” 

Furthermore, Draper also revealed the key element that his coach desires to bring into his game. “His message to me is that I have got to be more aggressive. I got to try and take more risks and be the one to force the play. Because at the end of the day. I think tennis is going in that way where everyone is a lot more aggressive now. He is a huge add on to my team, and I’m really excited for what’s to come with him.” And the Brit is over the moon with his recent victory!

Draper is “proud” of his latest match against Tsitsipas in Cincinnati

The British No. 1 player, Draper, reeled off the last two sets to stun the ninth seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in the Cincinnati Masters round of 32 match with sheer hard work and resilience! As the match ended at 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, Draper, who had a round of 64 elimination from the Canadian Open, secured his spot in the next match! However, before he pondered over the next battle, the 22-year-old wanted to enjoy his current victory.

“In the first hour I really struggled… and that just isn’t good enough against these top players. In general, my grit, my determination and my attitude won me the match today, so I’m very proud of that.”

During the opening round of the event, he had to call for some medical timeout mid-match, but nothing seemed to stop him from earning his victory, and he continued the same streak in this match as well! As Draper continues his ascent up the rankings, Ferreira’s expertise will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping his game.