Jack Draper is reaping the rewards of his new-found focus – once keen to explore New York, the Brit’s plan for success is now based on takeaways and TV in his hotel room
The streets of New York City are teeming with chaotic life, with a constant noise that pulses like an excited heartbeat. Everything about it makes you want to dive headfirst into it.
But Jack Draper denies himself even the smallest taste of the Big Apple. His success routine involves cocooning in his hotel room, ordering takeout and binge-watching the TV series Gangs of London — a little piece of home.
One of his few pleasures is a good cup of coffee, but even that has been neutralised after coach James Trotman decided the British No.1 would only be allowed to drink decaffeinated coffee.
What a tragic waste of a Manhattan hotel room — but the monastic existence serves Draper well. He’s in the last 16 of the US Open without losing a set and will face Tomas Machac on Monday evening for a place in the quarterfinals.
When he started coming to New York, Draper was just like any other tourist. “My first year on tour, when I was visiting all these great cities, I was definitely a little more excited,” Draper said. “Walking through Central Park, going for a cup of coffee, I wanted to see a lot of things.
Jakc Draper’s routine for US Open success involves retreating to his hotel room and ordering takeout
His new preparation methods have helped him reap success and he is now in the fourth round
Novak Djokovic (pictured) was defeated by Alexei Popyrin on Friday, further demonstrating that a new era is dawning
‘Now it’s more important for me to just go back and do a Deliveroo to my hotel, make a cup of tea and watch a series, do something that takes my mind off tennis, anything to save mental and physical energy.
‘It’s a lonely existence sometimes being a top tennis player. You have to make sacrifices.
“I was always someone who liked to enjoy myself and maybe didn’t have a working mindset. The life of a tennis player is very different. I had to accept that and everything I do now is full focus, 100 percent because all these other players are doing the same thing and if I don’t, I’m left behind.
‘Since last year I have kept my head in the game and focused on becoming a top player.’
It’s truly impressive that Draper, in what is essentially his first completely injury-free year on tour, has already taken on such a single-minded dedication to his craft. Many tennis players his age would be running around Manhattan wide-eyed on their days off, but not Jannik Sinner and not Carlos Alcaraz, and that’s the company Draper aspires to keep.
Novak Djokovic’s defeat to Alexei Popyrin on Friday night was the latest sign of a new era dawning and while Sinner and Alcaraz are now the dominant players, there are more than two seats at the top table and Draper wants in. ‘I feel a very big chance,’ he said. ‘If I keep working hard, I am confident I can reach that top level.
‘I don’t feel like I’m far away from it yet, but I hope that level will come over time, that the results will come and that I can then play at the highest level, just like those guys.’
Draper is just a few matches away from the chance to test his mettle against Sinner in the US Open semi-finals, but the dangerous Machac should not be ruled out.
The 23-year-old Czech has an enormous amount of strength, as evidenced by his bulging thighs that barely conceal his ridiculously short shorts.
Like Draper, Machac is yet to drop a set and leads the head-to-head matches 3-0. But given the age of the players, previous results mean little and Draper is a marginal favourite to win this and reach his first major quarter-final.
Draper has yet to drop a set in the tournament, but neither has Tomas Machac, whom he will face for a place in the last eight.
Hopes of an all-British contest were dashed when Dan Evans was knocked out in the third round
There was every chance that the eighth match on Wednesday would be an all-British affair, but Dan Evans’ campaign was ended in the third round on Saturday evening when a superb match against 10th-seeded Alex de Minaur was ruined by a hip injury to the British player.
They had split the first two sets before Evans’ hip seized up. He pushed through and lost 6-3, 6-7, 6-0, 6-0.
Ultimately, Evans’ heavy first-round win over Karen Khachanov cost him dearly, but these were a significant few days in the career of a man who arrived in New York without a tour victory since March.
“This week has brought a lot of good,” the 34-year-old said. “It’s not that I don’t love tennis anymore… but I came to America with no expectations and a lot of doubts, and I left with the certainty that I can still do it at a higher level.”