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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 13, 2018

Jack Draper

Wimbledon, London, England

J. DRAPER/N. Mejia

7-6, 6-7, 19-17

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What on earth are you feeling at the moment?
JACK DRAPER: For one, I can't feel my legs (smiling). Apart from that, yeah, I'm overwhelmed by all. I was happy with the way I sort of came through it.

But, yeah, no, I'm totally overwhelmed.

Q. Tell us the mental pain of 10 match points. Did you think, When is this going to happen?
JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I had one in the second set tiebreak. Obviously I had nine more. Yeah, it was torture for me. But, yeah, I was glad to get it done in the end.

Q. In the second set tiebreak, I think you looked at the umpire wanting to challenge the backhand down the line, but you couldn't. How tough was that for you?
JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I think I saw it out by about a millimeter. Yeah, it was tough not having that, yeah.

Q. Have you coped with any matches that long before? How did you prepare in terms of diet, eating, keeping your energy level up?
JACK DRAPER: I don't think anything can really prepare you for that sort of match as, like, a junior player. That's probably the longest match I've had. But I was having loads of bananas, loads of sort of electrolytes. That's what kept me going, yeah.

Q. 61 minutes for one of your sets. Talk about recovery, what you're going to do? Are you going to an ice bath all night?
JACK DRAPER: I've already been on the bike, I've been in the ice bath. I've tried to get some food down me.

But, yeah, I'll definitely be feeling it whatever happens tomorrow. I have to try to prepare as best as possible for Sunday.

Q. Does the name Stanley Matthews mean anything to you?
JACK DRAPER: No, I haven't heard that name.

Q. He's the last British junior boys champion.
JACK DRAPER: Really? Must be quite a long time ago.

Q. 1962.
JACK DRAPER: 1962, wow.

Q. Liam has been in the final.
JACK DRAPER: The final, yeah.

Q. Talk about what you'll be feeling on Court 1.
JACK DRAPER: I mean, wow, as a young Brit, you dream sort of being on those big courts. Yeah, it's definitely going to be a challenge. It's going to be very exciting, yeah.

Q. You were obviously looking up at your coaching team quite a lot. Nothing really anyone could do.
JACK DRAPER: I was getting very frustrated. I expressed my anger in different ways. They can't do anything, obviously. In the heat of the moment, I'm just talking rubbish basically. But, yeah, I mean, they have to deal with that.

Q. Stanley had to deal with the fact that his dad was Sir Stanley Matthews. Because your Roger's son, has that been not a burden but is that a pressure, knowing your dad was so high profile?
JACK DRAPER: No, not really for me. I've just gone about every day for me. Yeah, no, I don't feel any pressure from that sort of thing.

Q. You really went for the forehand on your 10th match point. When you were lining up that overhead, was your life flashing before your eyes?
JACK DRAPER: I was 100% I was going to miss that smash because actually my coach Ryan had been saying how bad my smash, my footwork to get behind that exact smash. Yeah, I knew I was going to miss it. I don't know how I made it. I must have hit the frame or something (smiling).

Q. When you won, I think you fell to the floor. Relive what was going through your mind.
JACK DRAPER: I can't really remember most of it. I think it was sort of just a massive relief to actually have the match over after so many sort of, you know, torture, match points, him playing very well in them.

But, yeah, I think I did very well in the end. I was just very happy, of course.

Q. All the guys you came up with to this point, they're going to presumably see this as massive for you, but inspirational for the other young Brits.
JACK DRAPER: Yeah, hopefully it will. I mean, in my group, I know there's about six players who are really, really good. Like George, didn't play this week obviously, but I train with him sort of every day. We have the same coach. He's amazing. Aidan is obviously great.

In terms of younger ones, I'm sure it will inspire others because it would inspire me, too.

Q. How tough was it for you to see Nicolas crying at the end?
JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I was thinking, well, I can't celebrate too much because what if I was on the other side. I know I'd be destroyed if I lost that match. Yeah, trying to comfort him. Yeah, he'll get over it I think, hopefully.

Q. Will you follow with this evening's match or...
JACK DRAPER: I'm sure I'll go home and watch it. Probably won't get to sleep till quite late. I was aware of the match that was going on. Kevin Anderson uses Dunlop as well as me. They kept on changing the scoreboard from mine to his. It was like 20-20, stuff like that. I was keeping an eye on it.

Q. You must have seen this interview room on television, Roger Federer, Nadal. How does it feel being in here?
JACK DRAPER: It's a bit different. Not going to lie, it's good, yeah. I'm happy to be here.

Q. The No. 1 seed is who you'll play. You'll be facing somebody in the final who you know. He came through pretty easy today, 6-3, 6-1.
JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I know he's an extremely tough opponent. He's doing well on the men's side, as far as I know. He's, of course, No. 1 junior. He's a very good prospect. It will be tough to beat him, yeah.

Q. You play on No. 1 Court. How much did you like the home support today?
JACK DRAPER: Yeah, court 3 is a bit different from all the others, especially the 12 I've been on. It's like a bowl court, surrounding.

The support was unbelievable. I kind of sort of -- I enjoyed having all that. The stage I performed pretty well today. I'm happy with that.

Q. How many hours have you spent on a court before in the match? What was the longest match you played before this?
JACK DRAPER: Probably about three and a half, I'd say.

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