QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 21, 2025

Jiri Lehecka

From Recorded Audio

J. LEHECKA/C. Alcaraz

6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Q. With one break down against Carlos Alcaraz, what did you think?

JACK DRAPER: I just felt like I need to keep going in order to, that I felt that he's not serving that well, that gives me a bit of chance to break back, and that I need to keep my strong game, you know, that I need to really push forward to play aggressive, and that can bring me some good points.

Q. He said he was impressed because at that time you never get down and on the contrary you began to play better and better. Is that also a mental victory?

JACK DRAPER: Yes, for sure. I mean, when you are playing against players like that it's always tough to keep up, you know, it's always tough to keep fighting when it's not going well for you, but that's something I knew I need to do, because the match is not finished until it is the end. So for me I knew that I must really focus on myself and on the right things to do and, yeah, I made it, so, yeah, definitely a very big mental victory for me as well.

Q. We know how powerful your tennis is, if you are to point to one improvement during the last month, what would it be?

JACK DRAPER: I think consistency, because I knew and I felt that during last years that I had the level to play great shots, I have the power to play aggressively, and to put my opponents under pressure. But at the same time I was just missing the consistency. I knew that I could do it few games, then few sets, then few matches. But for me the main goal in the pre-season and also last year was to keep to be able to keep this level as much as I can, doesn't matter if you are winning or losing, because that's basically the key of the good game plan.

Q. More and more players here, like Medvedev and also Alcaraz, said consistency and the capacity of staying focused during two or three hours is the key in tennis, do you agree, I guess?

JACK DRAPER: Yes, I agree, definitely.