AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 11, 2025

Jack Draper

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Jack Draper. Welcome to Melbourne, Jack. After a successful 2024 season, how do you feel about your preparations here at 2025 AO?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I feel good coming here. I feel very different again from last year. Feel like I had obviously a great year, lots of matches, lots of more experience. I'm coming here, obviously my pre-season got a little bit disrupted with an injury. I've done the best I can to be here and to put myself in a position to hopefully play some really good tennis over the next week or two.

Looking forward to the challenge and what's to come.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How is the hip? Are you feeling you're ready to be competitive here?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, look, it's not ideal obviously preparation and everything. I had to miss a fair bit of my preseason, the time when I wanted to sort of rebuild my body for this next coming year.

That's what happens sometimes in sport. The last two-and-a-half weeks have been really positive. Came out here about a couple of weeks ago now, have put in some really good preparation, got a lot of load for my body.

Yeah, I've had some great hits as well, so I feel really good about my tennis. Yeah, there's no reason why, come Monday, I can't be playing some really good stuff.

Q. Would you say you're 100% fit now or is it going to be something you have to manage during the tournament?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I'd say I wouldn't be competing if I didn't feel like I can go 100%. I feel confident in my tennis. I definitely built a lot of belief at the end of last year. I feel confident coming here.

Yeah, like I said, the prep's not been obviously ideal. I've still got in two-and-a-half weeks of really, really good training. I'll feel ready to go on Monday, for sure.

Q. When we spoke to you in Hammersmith, you said you've become someone that gets quite frustrated when you can't work on your primary goals in the sport. How was it mentally going through that frustration?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, it's always difficult periods when you're injured. In tennis, there's so many ups and downs. One week you're playing great and you're winning and stuff, then the next you might get an injury or something and you can't do anything.

It was definitely an interesting period. The last month definitely learnt a lot about myself, what makes me tick. I hadn't really much time out from the sport in a long time because obviously been traveling, competing, doing lots of things.

No, it was difficult, but it gave me a lot of motivation, hunger for when I was ready to be back training again. That's the thing, like I feel like the last two weeks have been really positive. Yeah, I'm really excited to be here and compete.

Q. How does it feel mentally, how you feel about your own game now compared to 12 months ago?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I feel a lot more developed in myself, in my tennis. Like I feel like I have a lot more experience, a lot more understanding of how I am effective on the court, especially at this level.

Yeah, like I'm just coming into the tournament with one more year of playing lots of matches on the tour, lots of experiences, lots of losses, lots of wins. I just feel more calm in myself, especially coming to these big events knowing that my level is really high.

Again, I feel like I've improved my base level, as well, which is really important. I feel a lot stronger and mentally in a really good place, ready to hopefully have some really good results here.

Q. You've got an exciting year ahead. What is your tennis goal and life goal for 2025?

JACK DRAPER: Deep question (smiling).

I think my tennis goal is to keep on fulfilling my potential action, be consistent day in, day out. People like to put a lot of obviously ranking goals. I'm somebody who it's worked better for me in the past if I know I'm coming in every day and being as consistent as possible in all things I'm doing, whether that's the gym or on the court, then the results are going to come. Usually I surprise myself that way anyway.

I would say the main goal for me tennis-wise is consistency.

Life goal? Learn more about money. I don't understand anything about it. Obviously I didn't do any financial or economics at school or something. I want to understand a little bit more about that. So that's a little bit of studying for me to do off the court.

Q. How tricky is it to come in and play a Grand Slam for your first event of the season? How much does potentially a seeding help with that?

JACK DRAPER: I think I was going to come and play Sydney. Sorry, the United Cup in Sydney. I would have got a couple matches there. Obviously the Grand Slam is pretty much at the start of the season. Even though I haven't played loads of matches or anything like that, I played practice sets. I've got a lot of points in.

Yeah, it will feel a bit strange not having competed kind of since Paris. I'll be as ready as possible. It does feel a bit weird obviously not having any matches at all. Hopefully I'm able to sort of build my way into the games, the sets, find my level that way.

I think obviously being a seed, obviously you avoid a top-32 player in the first round. Then again, I think the guy I play on Monday is ranked 40-odd in the world. Everyone at this level can play incredible tennis. I'm aware of that. It's going to be a really tough battle on Monday. I'm going to have to really bring my top tennis.

Q. Following up on the lack of match practice. You had practice sets against top players this week. Tell us a bit about the process, whether you approach them, and does it give you confidence that they want to play with you?

JACK DRAPER: When I first came onto the tour, I remember putting my name down. I was in Miami. No one wanted to hit with me, which is obviously a bit different now being able to play with top players.

Yeah, like my coach just sorted that out. I just came, Who am I hitting with? You're hitting with these players. Oh, wow.

It was amazing to be on court with Novak and Andy especially. Jannik I hit with a couple days ago. Yeah, they just bring such a high quality to the practice court, as well. It's really great to be able to spar with that kind of level of intensity and work ethic, just what they bring to the court.

Yeah, I was really, really, really happy to be able to play with them. Yeah, obviously feels good to be able to get some really good hits in.

Q. If you could pick any skill from any player, past or present, what player would you pick and what skill set?

JACK DRAPER: Skill set? Like a shot, a certain skill? Hmmm... Let's say the Andy Murray lob. Yeah, my lobs, especially on the forehand side, aren't the best. Maybe I'd say Andy Murray's lob.

Q. You mentioned about hitting up with different stars, big names. How is it after those sessions, whether you play well or hit well, don't hit well, does it rise or fall your confidence?

JACK DRAPER: No, I mean, I think your confidence grows because you're playing with obviously the best players. They bring a certain intensity. You have to match that.

I think it's important that when I go from hitting with those guys to being at the National Tennis Centre in the UK, that I always bring that out in myself, as well. It's always good to see how they operate and what they do.

I think I'm very professional anyway. I do those things. I think regardless of what happens in that practice session, it gives me an immense amount of confidence that I'm on the court with these boys in such a big tournament, practicing before a big event. It's something that I've always wanted to do since I was a kid. I think I'm beginning to believe more and more that I belong at the highest level.

It feels great.