US OPEN

September 2, 2024

Jack Draper

Press Conference

J. DRAPER/T. Machac

6-3, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Jack, your thoughts on the win.

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, obviously it was a good match to come through. I'm incredibly proud to be in the quarterfinals.

Obviously lost in the round of 16 last year, so amazing to come through. I thought it was a good match from my side. I did what I needed to do. I competed well. My level was pretty solid throughout.

I'm happy with the way I played today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. About your serve, you went into the match without having dropped a service game and came out of the match with the same awesome stat. Can you say something about that. Your opponents thus far haven't been able to break it.

JACK DRAPER: It's strange. First of all, I think I'm doing good things behind the serve. I think I'm finding first serves when I need to find them. I've saved a lot of break points with good serves and good plays.

I think I still have got a lot of work to go on my serve as well. I think my serve is a weapon. Whenever I look at the stats, I think I see that my first serve when it goes in is really high percentage, but I still feel like I'm serving not amazingly well. I'm not sure what my first-serve percentage was today, but I don't think it would have been that high.

So it's really positive to know that I'm holding serve a lot, and I still feel like there's room for improvement.

Q. Jack, you just became the first British man to reach the quarterfinals since Andy Murray in 2016. Your thoughts about that.

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, it's an incredibly proud moment for me. I think -- you mean here at the US Open?

Q. Yeah.

JACK DRAPER: No, I think incredibly proud of that achievement. Obviously it's one of the biggest tournaments in the world.

To follow in Andy's footsteps and make the quarterfinals here since he did it in 2016, it's a big achievement for me. But, you know, I think I've just got to keep on going because I know that there's still room for improvement and still room to hopefully go further in the tournament.

Really, really proud of that achievement and hopefully I can do more.

Q. I'm curious about your friendship with Jannik Sinner. How did it start? You played double in Montreal. Is there a particular motivation for you by this friendship, and is it your dream to play against him in the semifinal?

JACK DRAPER: 100%. The first time I met Jannik was, we were in an under-18 tournament. I think I played him in the doubles in a Grade 1 ITF. I didn't know him, but it was strange following his journey because when he was younger, he was probably not one of the best juniors. I remember playing him in doubles, and we were saying, oh, hit to him because he's not the best player on the court.

Then, obviously, watching his progress from winning Bergamo challenger to the really getting to the top 20 very quickly when all of us were kind of 300, 400 in the world. I've obviously followed him and always think he's really well mannered and an amazing guy and good for the sport.

Obvious his tennis is incredible too. Since I've been on the tour, obviously seeing him in the changing rooms and just we say hi to each other a lot, and I think we keep in touch on text.

I think just in general we're obviously young. We're playing this incredibly tough sport. There's a lot of emotional ups and downs. There's a lot of tough moments. So I think it started through sending messages to each other when we're having bad moments or good moments.

Yeah, it was a real good thing that we played doubles in Montreal. I loved being on court with him. Yeah, it was strange being on court with someone obviously that good. We played great doubles, and hopefully I get to play with him again.

I think as a person, he's incredibly kind, genuine, funny, and that's more important than being the great player, but he's also an unbelievable player and great for the sport too.

Q. All of your matches have been really one-sided score lines. I'm wondering how close to your best do you think you're playing right now and how much further you have in this tournament?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I'm finding it strange. Like, I feel like in the matches I think a lot is going my way. I feel like in most of the matches I've just had to control what I can control. I feel like my base level is good, but I still feel like if I need to, I can improve my level a lot more.

You know, in some of the matches I feel like sometimes my level in certain games is dropping because I kind of lose concentration because I feel like, yeah, it is going quickly, and it is going my way.

I think that's why I'm saving a lot of break points because in those moments I'm trying to sort of pick myself up, pick my energy up because I need to, you know?

I feel like there's still a long way for me to go and a lot that I can still improve on in this tournament, and I think obviously as the challenge gets higher and as I play even better players, I think hopefully my level will increase with that.

Q. Is it also encouraging that you've been able to reach the quarterfinals being so clinical and not being close to your best, in your opinion?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, 100%. I think that's the main thing about tennis. You know, we can't play our best tennis all the time. It's about how we're coming through on the days when we're not playing our best or when things aren't perfect or when we're not feeling great.

I felt like in my first few rounds I felt really quite tired, quite lethargic. Even though I haven't played loads and loads of matches, this is my first year on tour, and I feel like with the Olympics and Montreal, Cincinnati, you know, the tennis schedule is relentless. Definitely coming here I felt a little bit of that fatigue.

I had a day off yesterday, and I felt so much better. I feel very positive about where my base level is and just feeling calm about my tennis and myself. Yeah, I'm looking forward to keep on going.

Q. I was wondering whether you will speak to Andy in the next day or two just to tap into his knowledge, his experience of sort of being in this level of a Grand Slam.

JACK DRAPER: Probably not, no. Probably not. I think Andy -- obviously I feel like he would completely understand and respond to any messages I send him and would give me advice, but I think also at the same time I think he's kind of enjoying his retirement now, and he's kind of done with it.

But, yeah, I know if I have any questions or if I'm feeling something, then he'll be the first person I text. I know that he'd be there for me if I need him.

Q. Jack, other than knowing it's an Australian in the next round, you don't know if it's Alex or Jordan, if you could analyze each one independently as you head to the next round.

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I think both of them are incredibly good competitors, for one. They're both very solid in all areas of their game. Not the biggest hitters, but definitely very consistent, amazing movers.

I've played Jordan. I've played Alex. They're some of the fastest players on the tour. You know, they make every ball in the court. They're just very consistent all-around players.

I know that my work is going to be cut out, and I know I'm going to have to play really good tennis and bring some of my best to beat them.