Jack Draper into first grand slam semi with US Open win over Alex de Minaur

At a time when he should have been busy building the foundations of his promising tennis future, Jack Draper spent long periods of the formative years of his professional career watching from the sidelines. He simply could not stay fit. His numerous injuries meant that his talent was always undeniable, but for so long it was unclear if and when his body would allow it to blossom.

At long last, Draper has arrived at the highest level of the sport. On Wednesday afternoon, he continued his incredible breakthrough in New York by beating an ailing Alex de Minaur, the world No. 10, and maintaining his focus and composure under pressure to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s amazing,” Draper said. “To be here for my first game on the biggest field in the world is a dream come true for me.”

Five matches into his New York odyssey, Draper, the 25th seed, is still unset. He is the first British man to reach the US Open semi-finals since Andy Murray won his first grand slam title there in 2012. The 22-year-old will now break into the world’s top 20 for the first time in his career, a feat only nine British men have achieved in ATP tour history. In his first major semi-final, Draper will face either his good friend Jannik Sinner, the top seed, or 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev.

“I had a solid match,” he said. “Condition-wise, I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I think Alex has gotten me there in the past. I also think he maybe struggled a little bit today with something that maybe helped me. But credit to Alex, he’s a great fighter, an unbelievable player, and we’re going to have many more fights.”

Standing between Draper and his first major semi-final was one of the best defenders in the world. No one moves and fights like the much-improved De Minaur, who has mastered the art of chasing down every last ball and drawing fouls from opponents by making his half of the pitch seem so narrow. The 25-year-old’s ability to extend points and turn his games into such physical battles has made this an extremely tough match-up for Draper in the past, having lost all three of their encounters.

As both players entered Arthur Ashe Stadium in pursuit of their first Grand Slam semi-final, it was hard to say who could handle the pressure better. De Minaur had a lot to lose in his third straight Grand Slam quarter-final and fourth overall. Having been the heavy underdog against top-five players on the previous three occasions, he was the higher-ranked player this time around.

De Minaur also looked tense, as both players struggled in the beginning. Draper broke his serve in his first return game with the help of some unusual errors from the Australian, after which he immediately hit back the break with two double faults.

But Draper had begun the match determined to dictate on his terms, pushing De Minaur behind the baseline with his heavy topspin forehand, which he can sometimes be too hesitant with, and then looking for opportunities to dictate with it. After driving his forehand with authority throughout the set, Draper nearly dragged himself over the line, despite nerves and a low first-serve percentage.

After securing the opening set, Draper relaxed further and dominated the baseline, breaking his serve for a 2-1 lead. But it gradually became apparent that De Minaur was in physical pain. The Australian had not played since Wimbledon at the US Open, where he had injured his hip and withdrawn from his quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic. Although he had played down the injury in earlier rounds and had played at a good level in New York, De Minaur was clearly shivering after tough points from the start of the second set until the end of the match.

On the other side of the net, Draper was having his own physical issues. After stretching his leg between points early in the second set, he took a medical timeout at 2-1 and had his right thigh wrapped by the trainer. Although he seemed to be hesitant at times, Draper’s movement was not significantly affected. With his confidence high and De Minaur struggling but fighting, this was going to be a major mental battle for Draper. He had to stay focused, seize his chances and prevent De Minaur from gaining a foothold in the match.

After generating a total of five break points to secure a double break in set two, the momentum almost swung when Draper lost serve at 4-3 and quickly served to stay in the second set while trailing 4-5. He responded brilliantly, producing some of his best serves to hold on before rolling to a further two games. After taking a two-set lead, he refused to give up, playing with a bright, relentless aggression until the match was over and he was just two games away from winning a Grand Slam title.