Jack Draper reveals what motivates him after rapid rise – ‘Fear and doubt’
Jack Draper has stated that he wants to ‘keep on progressing’ after reaching the world’s top five as a result of a successful last few months.
The Brit recently reached the final of the Madrid Masters, losing out to Casper Ruud 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in a tight three-set match.
Earlier in the season, Draper lifted his first Masters 1000 title at the Indian Wells event – beating two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz along the way.
As a result of his success, the British No 1 has made his way into the world’s top five, leapfrogging Novak Djokovic, and becoming just the second left-handed player this century to do so (after Rafael Nadal).
“Before I played [Matteo] Arnaldi in the quarter-finals in Madrid I knew there was a chance I could get to that point [world No 5],” stated Draper, in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports.
“But, with all honesty, with rankings I don’t really think about it because I was thinking about my preparation for the match, I was thinking about how I could do the best I can to get through that one.
“It was an amazing feeling after I had done it but I want to keep on progressing.”
Once a player achieves greater results, it can be expected that there is, as a consequence, added pressure and attention from the public and critics alike.
12 months prior to his Madrid Masters run, Draper was ranked outside of the world’s top 40 and was yet to win a title above ATP 250 level.
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“There are more commitments, more eyes on you,” responded Draper.
“I feel a bit more confident in myself, more calmer, walking around the tournaments thinking belong a bit more at the top level, among the top-ranked players. It just feels great, a dream come true.
“I’ve always feared a lot of things, I definitely feared my opponents. People can say that’s being open and vulnerable, but for me, honestly, that’s the thing I wouldn’t change out of anything. It’s my biggest strength, my strength to know that when I go out there I’m going to compete as hard as I can for every ball out of respect for all these guys.
“Regardless of my ranking I’ve always been the same. I’ve used that fear and doubt to motivate me to want to do the best I can for every match. Nothing changes regardless of what level I am.
“The rankings are important but at the same time winning a Masters 100, a 500, a 250, and making the semis of a Grand Slam all in the last year is something that I can always draw back on when I’m feeling low on confidence and say ‘you’re a good player, Jack, don’t worry about it’ so just having those results to lean back on.”
Draper will face either Yunchaokete Bu or Luciano Darderi in his first match at the Rome Masters.
