Jack Draper has joked that his body used to “break down” like a Toyota after surviving a scare at Queen’s. On a scorching day in London, the British No. 1 came from behind to outlast Alexei Popyrin 3-6 6-2 7-6(5). It’s a match that he may not have won just a few months ago, but the 23-year-old has been putting in the work to build his strength and fitness, and it’s paid off.
Everything started when Draper won three five-set matches in a row in Melbourne earlier this year, and the world No. 6 now believes his body can survive gruelling matches. Opening up on his transformation, he joked: “I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota.”
Draper has also enlisted two of Andy Murray’s old team members – physiotherapist Shane Annun and strength and conditioning coach Matt Little, who have been seen in his box at recent tournaments.
It’s been a beneficial move for Draper, who used to struggle in the heat and threw up on the court when he won his first-ever five-set match at the 2024 Australian Open. Now, he feels confident in coming through lengthy battles.
After beating Popyrin in two hours and 13 minutes, Draper said: “Yeah, I have always worked really hard off the court. I think, you know, it’s helped me play more consistently on the tour.
“And I think those matches at the start of the year in Australia really helped me to get over that hurdle.
“I have felt better and better every Grand Slam I have played. You know, before, I felt like my energy wasn’t that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like broke down quite easy. Now I’m starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself.”
Draper also credited the crowd and his family for helping him get over the line on Wednesday, when he felt flat. The 23-year-old was cheered on by his grandad in the front row.
“It was tough. He was serving cannons, and I felt quite low on my energy. I have not been feeling so good. I think I really got myself going. I think the crowd picked up on that. I think maybe the crowd picked up on the fact that I needed that energy,” he continued.
“For me, family is the most important thing in the world to me. To have them here, I think in certain moments, I think to myself, like, you know, I can’t lose in front of my granddad, do you know what I mean?
“I think they helped me just to fight through every point. He’s with me. They’re living it with me every point. You know, I think that helps me to fight even harder.”
If Draper can win his next match at the Queen’s Club, he will rise back up to No. 4 in next week’s rankings and would be guaranteed a spot as one of the top-four seeds at Wimbledon.
It means he would avoid facing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz until the semi-final. And he added: “It’s obviously a big thing. I think it would definitely help. But at the same time, I don’t think I will think about that at all.”