MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 1, 2025

Jack Draper

Press Conference

J. DRAPER/ M. Arnaldi

3-6, 7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jack, please.

Q. This time last year you were still trying to find your identity on the court and how to play your game. Now seeing how you're playing right now, and, you know, looking for your forehand, and bullying your opponents, how much does this feel like instinctively your game now, versus the way you're trying to play, if that makes sense, does it feel like that's your identity on court now?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, definitely when I came on to the tour I was coming up the rankings, and then I took quite a lot of losses, especially this time last year, some tight losses. I was trying to find my blueprint as a player, and I think that towards the end of last year it started to come together what I was trying to do. I think this year it's just getting more and more, I think, physically getting stronger, mentally getting stronger, and therefore the tennis and what I'm trying to do out there is also feeling pretty set, you know.

Q. You're a lefty on clay, and I can't help but wonder if part of your clay education was watching hundreds of hours of Rafa Nadal?

JACK DRAPER: Not really. I mean, obviously he's a lefty, and growing up watching him, but I wasn't ever trying to think I'm going to be like him on a clay court, you know, he's pretty good.

But, no, I think definitely things I can learn from the way he looked for his forehand, the way he dictates, and the way he bullies opponents, especially on the clay. I think that's definitely something I'm learning how to do, look for my forehand more, and try and dictate what I'm trying to do, for sure.

Q. You just said that you're mentally stronger, players say that all the time. I'm just wondering, can you explain what that means, like how do you notice, I'm now mentally stronger than a year ago?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I think just more experience, obviously more matches, more chances I've had to play on the biggest stages against the top players, and the more exposure to that, I think that helps big time.

But also I think, what was I going to say, the confidence of what I'm trying to do, you know, feeling like I'm pretty set, and my blueprint's there and I can focus on that. Also just, yeah, more belief, I suppose, in what I'm trying to achieve. That's it, really.

Q. Obviously last year you changed your service motion, and then changed it back. How much confidence did that give you in just your technique in general and trust in the base of your game, and not thinking that you need to make massive changes to your game to be successful?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I think especially on the serve I still feel like I've got a long way to go with it. I think it could definitely be a better shot. I went through some changes last year, obviously me and James tried something, but it didn't quite go to plan. I think, again, linked back to your question of what I'm trying to do, you know, I think it got to the point where maybe I was thinking that I needed to do something drastic to be a top player.

The truth was I just needed to be consistent, trust the work that I was doing, and know that with the right mentality and doing things well day-in, day-out and preparing the best I can for competitions, that's going to just help me to find more consistency and be the top player I wanted to be. So that feels good to have gone on that journey and realized that it's just hard work, really.

Q. The more I talk to tennis players the more I realize burnout is almost inevitable at some point with a tour like this. When you look at other players who have perhaps struggled with these kind of things, and you're still young, right, is there anything you put in your mind and like something to prevent hitting that wall, or detecting early, Oh, I'm about to hit a wall, I need to be able to step back, because the sport is kind of relentless, is that something that you consciously need to think about?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I mean, I think I spoke about it yesterday, it's something that, you know, when it comes down to it I'm going to get the best out of my career, whatever that looks like, I'm going to try and fulfill my potential.

I think the way the tour is at the moment and these two-week events and less weeks to be at home, less weeks to train, it just seems like you're on a constant rabbit wheel, and there's no way off it. I think that's scary to think about as a player. You know, to think that, look, I know we're earning good money, and we're playing in front of great crowds, and something I love to do, but it's mentally very, very taxing, and something that, you know, I hope that potentially the ATP and the tours come together at some point and, I don't know, clean it up a little bit, I suppose, to make it so that there is a bit more space to train and to work on our bodies.

I think for me the big thing is the, I think the quality can suffer a little bit. I think there's a lot of top players who are in and out with their performances, and it's just purely because it's just overplaying. People look on TV and they think, Oh, that was a bad performance and stuff. It is mentally difficult every day to show up and to give it a hundred percent. And, you know, we have lives as well, there's things going on off the court all the time. We're not robots.

I think it is a scary proposition what's ahead, you know, the fact that it is a long career. But then again, you know, I don't have to play until I'm 35, I can do everything and get the best out of myself, and I'll stop when I feel like I'm ready.

Q. Ben Shelton said that as a lefty he struggles to find practice partners sometimes, and people don't want to train with him. And then, when they're playing against a lefty, suddenly it's a long line of people wanting to hit with him. He mentioned you probably experienced the same thing, so I'm just curious, have you ever been discriminated against as a lefty?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, of course, all the time, it happens every week. You know, I've never been someone who is that worried about who I hit with, whether it be a lefty or a righty, I'm focused on myself.

But, yeah, a lot of players, I can understand it, of course, but they get it in their heads that they can't hit with a lefty before the tournament or before they play or something like that, so you end up not having anyone to hit with in the draw. I suppose Shelton would have said that whoever he's playing, everyone's contacting me to want to hit, and vice versa. So, yeah, I guess just look for someone who is playing one of those players and hopefully I'll get a hit.