Why Did Jack Draper Fall in Love with Tennis? Revisiting the ‘Dark Place’ That Forced Him to Consider Retirement

Jack Draper is currently making waves at the Stuttgart Open with his excellence on the field. Immersed in enthusiasm and determination to win, the 22 year old player prepared to face it Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals of the tournament. Although his current record in the world of tennis shows his prowess on the court, the British tennis star’s journey to date has not been completely smooth. Having gone through a tumultuous phase in his career, the professional tennis player from England almost had to put aside his dreams in the world of tennis.

Jack Draper, who turned professional in 2018, has had a career plagued by several injuries. Although he finished his junior career ranked No. 7, it took him another three years to debut in an ATP Tour main draw match (Miami Open). However, a year earlier, Draper had almost lost all hope of pursuing a tennis career. Although the former Wimbledon junior finalist was ready to hit his racket with full force, he was unable to reach a similar milestone on the ATP circuit.

Therefore, when the lockdown happened, his interest in tennis started to decline. Her uncertainty regarding her future in tennis grew as she struggled to maintain her performance on court after that. What was even worse was his back injury. Although he returned to the field with more enthusiasm, his fate had different plans because he suffered from shoulder and stomach injuries. However, even so, his struggle continued when he fell on the field while fighting in the first round match there. Even so, he continued his journey.

However, he did not give up. After picking up his first Masters 1000 win in Miami in 2022, Draper showed the world he wasn’t done yet. Although he struggled with cramps during the 2023 Australian Open, his love for tennis helped him overcome all the difficulties.

His debut at Roland Garros ended abruptly due to a shoulder injury in the first round match. The injury forced him to miss the entire grass season. He bounced back at the US Open, beating three players including 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz before falling to Andrey Rublev. He reached the final of the Open d’Orléans Challenger and then captured the Trofeo Faip–Perrel title, pushing him back into the top 100. He ended a strong year with a surprise run to the final of the Sofia Open, beating top seed Lorenzo Musetti and becoming the youngest Briton to reach an ATP final since Andy Murray in 2009.

Thanks to his extraordinary determination in 2024 until now, Jack stands tall as the number 1 British men’s singles player. Now doubts about his future no longer worry him as much as before. Instead, a recent interview highlights how things are going “proud” from the level.

Jack Draper is “very happy” after his final match at the Stuttgart Open

Jack Draper achieved an impressive victory over Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-final match yesterday. Finishing with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1), the British professional defied all odds and claimed his place in the semifinals scheduled for today. Of course, during the post-match interview, he appeared to be in good spirits.

“I am very happy. My last three tie-breaks in the third set, I lost them all, so to get through today was amazing and I’m very proud of my level. I was very happy with the way I served and it was a very high quality match.

After all, scoring 31 aces and reaching his 6th ATP Tour semifinal was indeed an extraordinary achievement for him. However, right now his focus is on winning his maiden ATP Tour title there. As his game progresses, not only him, but tennis fans are also happy that he has not lost his interest in tennis a few years ago.