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Jack Draper had a tough road to this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
Draper was out of action with injuries for the better part of seven months.
A bone bruise in his arm meant he had to withdraw from last year’s US Open, a tournament in which he had previously reached the semi-finals. He was then forced to take another break due to knee and shoulder problems.
From the world’s top 10 infractions, his injury-enforced absence has dropped him to 160th in the rankings.
A blockbuster clash with American Taylor Fritz in her first match at the All England Club on Tuesday saw her fall into an unwanted and outright blockbuster clash at this year’s Wimbledon.
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Jack Draper credited his new coach Andy Murray with ‘ugly’ win over Marcos Giron on his return to Eastbourne
“It’s very difficult,” Draper said. “When I was younger, I had a lot of setbacks. Then I got through it and had a few years where I didn’t belong. I made some incredible progress.
“Looking back, coming here last year as a four at worlds, I was feeling incredible and looking forward to whatever was coming. I felt like I was slowly building up and up, building confidence in my tennis, in my body, in my mind.
“Then you have something that stops you in your tracks when you least expect it. It’s really hard to accept.”
But he added: “I think my tennis hasn’t gone anywhere because I’ve been really dedicated every day to try and do everything possible, so that when I come back to the court, like now, I’m in a good place.
“I still believe, even after all this time now, that I’m still competing at an incredibly high level. I’m looking forward to working my way back up.”
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Jack Draper has opened up about his recent struggles with injury and hailed the impact of new coach Andy Murray
He would be happy to have tennis legend Andy Murray as his coach.
“He’s one of my biggest inspirations,” Draper said. “I think having him here, being in my presence, not right now, but the last couple of weeks, has really helped my confidence. It’s not been an easy time at all. To have him around to help me through this time, to get me back on the court, to get me back into competition, has been very, very special. I think this is just the beginning.
“Andy has obviously dealt with an incredible amount throughout his career. I have a lot of admiration for what he’s done. I think it’s going to be a great partnership.”
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Tim Henman and Laura Robson discuss Andy Murray joining Jack Draper’s coaching team, believing the British number two will gain so much, but wonder how it will play with the extra spotlight
Draper believes he can defeat sixth seed Fritz and start a run at the tournament.
“I think Taylor is an amazing competitor,” he said. “We’ve played five or six times. I think every time it’s a real battle. It’s about who can play better in important moments.
“I’ll also say that when we’ve played, we’ve brought out the best in each other. It’s good. Obviously you can’t get a tougher draw than that.
“It is important that I focus on my preparation. I believe that I can definitely win the match. But I have to play incredible tennis and compete really hard.”
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