CINCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 21, 2024

Jack Draper

Queens Club

Press Conference

T. PAUL/J. Draper

6-3, 5-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've been on such a great run. What do you feel the difference was today?

JACK DRAPER: I mean, first of all, I thought Tommy came out playing really well. Played a good match throughout.

I felt like conditions were definitely a bit trickier today. It was definitely quite windy, quite swirly. It was tough to sort of play the kind of tennis I wanted to play, but, you know, we have to deal with that. That's just part of the game.

Yeah, just I felt like I was having to really get myself going today, just maybe because the last couple of weeks catching up with me a little bit.

But credit to Tommy. He played a really good match, and he was probably the better player today and that's why he won, yeah.

Q. How did you feel physically, particularly towards the third set? Did you feel like the last two weeks were kind of catching up to you a bit, or were you still feeling pretty good?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, physically, no, I felt good. My body's been great. It just becomes, you know, mentally quite taxing, having to go day after day. I finished Stuttgart on Sunday, and I got here very, very late on Sunday.

Then training and then winning again on Tuesday. Obviously the match yesterday, it felt like there was quite a lot of energy and emotion invested in that.

Yeah, like, I was definitely having to pick myself up. I felt quite flat at times. I think that kind of showed in my decision-making at certain times in the match. I played a few more sloppy shots than I wanted to.

But at the end of the day, like, if I want to be one of the best players in the world, then I have to keep on backing up my performances and get used to, you know, going deep every week. That's what I want to get to, and that's kind of what I was disappointed about today.

But, you know, like I said, credit where credit's due. Tommy played some really good stuff today and was probably the better player in the end.

Q. Jack, you got a time violation I think in the second or third set. You're usually quite quick up to the line. There is obviously a trial going on here with the shot clock that Carlos was talking about yesterday. Do you find it rushes you at all? Do you find you're sometimes a bit surprised after a long point when the clock's already going?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, today was the first time I kind of noticed it, I suppose. Yeah, I don't know how I got a sort of time violation on that point, because I felt like, you know, I was very quick. You know, maybe we played the point and I decided to go to the other side to get the towel and come back, but I'm never intentionally taking my time too long.

Yeah, I did feel quite rushed today, and I wasn't trying to take too long or anything. So, yeah, you know, I'm not going to get annoyed because that's just the rules, isn't it? Gives me a time violation, you can give me a time violation.

Yeah, maybe they are trialing it and they'll change it if they're giving a lot of time violations for no reason.

Q. Curious what the thought is behind standing wide on the serve and standing by the tramlines. Is it planned or is it spontaneous? Are you giving him different looks?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, sometimes when I'm 40-Love up or something, I'll do it. I mean, I have been doing it the last couple of weeks, especially on the grass, and I have been having a lot of luck.

Sometimes I think when I'm playing someone, what would really get in my head if I was playing someone, and if someone was doing that to me with a lefty serve, it would be really difficult to return and would be quite frustrating.

So sometimes I think what would make me feel uncomfortable? Yeah, I like it. It has a lot of success, to be honest, because they either stand out really far wide because they cover that one and I go down the T.

Whatever happens, if I make that wide, they are still completely out of position and have to hit a great return. Yeah, maybe something I will bring in more.

Q. Just on the last two weeks, you talked about how this is kind of something you have to learn to back up. Wimbledon is not too far away. Is that something particularly with the Grand Slams that is going to be important?

JACK DRAPER: As in just...

Q. Playing high-level matches, coming back, coming back, playing two weeks, is that something you kind of...

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I think if you want to be a top, top player in the world, you have to back up results week by week, day by day. You know you're in a great place and you're one of the best players in the world when you're able to do that, because every day we're facing amazing tennis players who can beat you.

So if you're not quite on your game, for instance today, you lose the match because the other guy plays well and he beats you.

That's kind of the next stage for me now. I want to try and go deep in tournaments and back it up every week. My body is in a good place. You know, these are just things I have to probably get used to at the highest level and learn.

I'm still young. I'm trying to piece a lot of things together. Obviously that was my first title last week, so, you know, I have done it at challenger level and futures, but it's very different on the main tour. Just need probably a bit more time.

Q. You obviously have a lot of matches under your belt. What will next week look like for you? Will you just be training, Hurlingham?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I originally was going to play Eastbourne, but obviously after sort of being so busy and playing a lot of matches, you know, it's important now for me, especially being seeded at Wimbledon, to take a few days off to reset, recharge, make sure, you know, my body gets back to feeling pretty good.

You know, I'm a little bit sore and stuff from having gone day by day and day. I want to give myself the best chance to go deep at Wimbledon and play some really good tennis.

Now I'm in a great place to do that, obviously. Have had a lot of matches and built a lot of confidence. Yeah, I'll take a few days off and then start hitting at Wimbledon from Tuesday, Wednesday.