AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2025

Jack Draper

Press Conference

J. DRAPER/T. Kokkinakis

6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Jack, that was quite an epic. Take us through it from your side, and what was that whole experience like playing on that court with the crowd?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, it was a good match. You know, I know Thanasi always brings his best tennis when he plays me. When I played him at Davis Cup, Los Cabos, and Madrid, every time it's a battle.

He serves great. His forehand... You know, usually with most players, my backhand into their forehand, they break down, whereas he is one of these players who can just hit a winner off of any position on the forehand, even off the back foot.

Yeah, I mean, I think my tennis was a hell of a lot better than my first round. Yeah, I'm getting hopefully better like each set I play. I feel like the first set, again, was much better.

I'm just happy the way I competed. I think I competed really well. Just, yeah, a really good match to come through.

Q. What about the environment that you were playing in? Obviously quite wild.

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, it was amazing. Obviously, electric atmosphere. You know, obviously getting quite a lot of abuse from the crowd in between the serves the back of the court and all that sort of stuff.

I think, you know, sometimes you don't want to sort of rile them or give it back. But to be fair, it gave me energy doing that. There were times where I was down, then I come through a tough game. And I was feeling it a little bit. It gave me energy giving it back a little bit. It's just a bit of fun.

They are saying stuff at me. It's nice to sort of just give it like a bit of an ear or something like that, you know.

Q. What kind of things were they saying?

JACK DRAPER: Some interesting things for sure. You can probably imagine. I don't want to say, yeah.

Q. Do you think they crossed the line a bit?

JACK DRAPER: It's difficult. Obviously in between serves and stuff, like the whistling, talking. I mean, it's all fun, but when you are about to serve, it's really difficult.

Obviously some of the stuff they're saying, you know, the back of the court and all that, it's not easy to play with. It is a bit of fun. I have a thick skin. It's fun.

Q. Is it the worst you've experienced?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I think so. I think so. People say obviously Davis Cup in Argentina or something like that when they're whistling and laughing in between, whatever.

I think it's the best, like, the best atmosphere I've been in almost for that. I think it was fun to be a part of, to be fair.

Q. Do you take a lot of pride from having come through that?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I take a lot of pride in it. Long match. Obviously I was down a lot of the times. Yeah, it felt nice to give everyone a little thumbs up at the end when I came through.

No, obviously very proud of my efforts. I think it's been really difficult the last few years with question marks over long matches and backing up performances with long matches.

I wouldn't say I'm playing my best tennis. Obviously I've had a tough preparation. But if anything, I'm really proud of my mentality, my body, and the way I competed.

Q. How much was it a significant step forward then to feel to come through two back-to-back four-hour matches?

JACK DRAPER: It's a huge step forward. It's difficult. I've been working physically a lot for a long time. When people say, Oh, you're not fit enough and all of this sort of stuff, yeah, it's a part of it.

As a young player, when you come into these big events and you have to deal with the media, the crowds, you're playing tournaments you've dreamed of playing since you were young, and you are expected to do well and all this sort of stuff.

I would say it was a bit too much for me at the start. I feel like especially at the back end of last year I built a lot of confidence in myself, a lot of belief. I think winning the titles and making the semis of US, it just gave me that sort of security in my mind that I'm good enough and that I'm doing the right things. It has given me a calmness as well.

Instead of sort of carrying a lot on my shoulders, I feel like a lot calmer in myself, and I feel sort of just a lot more relaxed.

Q. Have you always liked it when the crowd is on your back? Have you always responded well to that?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I think I played in Paris. I think I played in Paris Bercy. I played against Rinderknech there when he was the No. 1 guy. That was pretty loud as well. There was booing between serves and stuff. That was interesting. I played Musetti in the Next Gen Finals. I know that was an interesting atmosphere.

I enjoy it, to be honest. That's the thing that gets me going the most is competing. I struggle practicing lots sometimes because I know I need to get better, and I know I need to work on my game, but the thing that really gets me going and kind of I think separates me from a lot of players is my competitive, like, nature.

Obviously playing in that kind of atmosphere against a great player in Thanasi, that's what I play tennis for.

Q. Obviously another Aussie now in the next round. It's going to be...

JACK DRAPER: It's good. It's really good. I think tonight was great. At the end of the day it's a bit of fun. I was watching a few of the Premier League ones with the FA Cup. Everyone getting on Andrew's back the other night, and he just stood there taking it. It's good sport. It's entertainment. That's what it is.

Like I said, it gave me a lot of energy. I appreciate that.

Q. 3-1 down in the fourth set (indiscernible).

JACK DRAPER: I think there were a few F-bombs and a few, like, I never go at him. It's more of just a lot of anger in myself. It's an important moment to sort of stay present and not sort of get carried away, like too angry. Obviously the best players stay in the present more often than not.

Q. Is that what he said to you? Is that what he is telling you at that moment?

JACK DRAPER: No, he is just telling me to stay calm and just to keep on going.

Obviously over a five-set match a lot of things -- there's a lot of momentum swings and there's a lot of ups and downs. It was difficult because Thanasi's level in general, especially on serve, I mean, he served incredibly well. Wasn't getting any chances really I felt like in most of the games or any rhythm. Hitting lines on the forehand and...

Yeah, I mean, it was just frustration. I wasn't really getting any luck out of it. It was difficult to stay present. But obviously when my chance came, I took it and did really good to win the full set like I did.

Q. Do you think you'll pull up okay?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah. I feel good. My body felt good. I didn't cramp. My body felt amazing, considering. I haven't done an awful lot. I think, again, like I said, I've built so much work over a long period of time now.

I think the step was mentally to be able to sort of be relaxed and be calm and know that I've put in all the hard work. All that's been done. I'm ready. Now it's just kind of how I recover and all that sort of stuff. I think especially at the slams, most of it is mental, yeah.

Q. You've known Jacob since you were young. Does it feel special to go through the same day as him, and have your paths crossed?

JACK DRAPER: It's sort of late in it. I'm proud of Jacob. He's an incredible player. I don't know if you looked at our sort of LTA, how many times we've played each other. It must be 30 times when we were younger. He would be like my arch rival when we were younger.

Obviously we went down different paths. He went to university and sort of did his thing there, but he's always been a special talent. I said yesterday or a couple of days ago that, you know, he's not going to stop just top 100 or top 50. He's going to be right at the top of the game. I think that's a really good, healthy relationship for myself.

Obviously I'm good friends with him, but we're going to be competing against each other obviously with sort of that No. 1 Brit situation. I think it's great for British tennis. Obviously Cam is still around, Dan, and other players too. I think it's an amazing addition to British tennis, and lucky to have him back.

Q. Do you want Aussie fans to know the more they shout, the better you'll play on Friday night? Just say, yes.

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, exactly.