Draper on 2023 injury struggles: 'I learned a lot'

After a breakthrough 2022, Jack Draper started last season at a career-high No. 38 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. However, 2023 did not go according to plan for the 22-year-old, whose season was impacted by injury.

The British lefty dropped outside the Top 100 in August after suffering with multiple shoulder injuries, missing six months of the season. The World No. 62 finished the year impressively, though, returning to court to reach his first tour-level final in Sofia in November.

Draper, who starts his season at the Adelaide International, believes his struggles have helped him grow on and off court.

“I think just one year older, I have matured a lot,” Draper said in Adelaide. “I went through quite a lot of injuries last year, even though I think my ranking was around 38, 40, and currently I'm 62 in the world.

“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. In terms of my tennis, I feel like I'm improving. I'm trying to come forward more. 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.”

Draper began 2024 with victory at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, where he defeated Sebastian Baez in straight sets. The five-time ATP Challenger Tour titlist reached the semi-finals in Adelaide last year before he advanced to the fourth round in Indian Wells in March.

He then suffered an abdominal injury, causing him to miss the majority of the clay swing before a shoulder injury sustained at Roland Garros meant he missed the grass-court season. Draper is pleased to be back fit and healthy.

“I was in a good position and then there was a stage come grass where it just seemed it was all going wrong, lots of injuries and stuff,” Draper said. “After that sort of period of being out from [Roland Garros] until after Wimbledon, kind of changed quite a lot of things. I tried to really work hard on my body, and also being out, it is tough seeing other players do well and all these sort of things.

“I came back really motivated and had a good US Open and then that gave me a lot of confidence going into the end of the year with Davis Cup and Sofia. I think I won a Challenger as well. I think I've been building a lot of good practises and a lot of matches at the end of last year, so I feel confident coming into this year.”

Draper spent the offseason at home in England and is hopeful the work he put in during December will pay off this season, starting in Adelaide and then at the Australian Open, the first major of the year.

“[Offseason] went really well. The calendar finished for us in Malaga for the Davis Cup, so I didn't have a lot of time. Had a week off and then went straight into training in the UK,” Draper said. “I think I was in the UK for about four or five weeks…Had a really good five weeks, a lot of good practises, really worked hard physically, and just tried to do all the right things for the coming year.”

Draper will play Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round in Adelaide. The ATP 250 hard-court event concludes on Saturday.