Tim Henman insists big Britain’s big US Open hope is not ‘unfit’ despite physical issues
The US Open men’s draw could throw up a surprise champion in a year when tennis players have been stretched to breaking point with the Olympic Games thrown into the mix and former British No 1 Tim Henman is backing a young gun from his nation to shine.
Jack Draper is firmly established as Britain’s new leading player, with his run to the quarter-finals at the Cincinnati Masters suggesting he is peaking ahead of an appearance at the US Open.
Draper has proved to be a test for the biggest names in the game and enjoyed a thrilling grass court win against Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at the Queen’s Club championships in London last June.
Yet he has suffered from injuries that have left him on the sidelines for long periods and he has also shown signs of fatigue in big matches over the course of his career, especially in hot temperatures.
That has led to some criticism of Draper’s physical preparations, but Henman insists the fitness of the mind is as big a factor for Draper as concerns about his body.
“It ends up being a physical issue for Jack, but for me, his issues are more mental,” Sky Sports Tennis analyst Henman told Tennis365.
“He hasn’t played too many long five-set matches in the Slams and I spoke to him after Australia and he said about the stress and anxiety you feel in those long matches.
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“I just feel Jack is moving in the right direction. His game is getting stronger, he’s getting better physically and it’s a case of staying patient with him.
“Jack is still very young. He is already in the top 30, there is no reason why he can’t finish the year inside the top 20 of the rankings and that would be a great platform to build on.
“The outcome is always important for a professional athlete, but the process of getting there is just as important. If you do the process right, the outcome should go in your favour.”
Henman knows all about the pressure of being Britain’s big tennis hope as he carried that burden superbly at Wimbledon for a decade and he will be a great source of advice for Draper is he now assumes that role following Andy Murray’s retirement.
“Your mindset has to be focused on controlling the controllables,” added Henman. “You have to learn to block out the outside noise because there is nothing you can do about there.
“There will be hype, there will be pressure, but a player like Jack has the ability to achieve a lot in the game and you have to be able to deal with everything to reach that level.
“You look at a player like Emma Raducanu and there is this obsession about everything she does and that is because the media are keen to have a champion.
“With Jack, there isn’t quite the same scrutiny, but he is doing all the right things and I’m sure he can have a great career.”
