ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2025

Jack Draper

Press Conference

A. BUBLIK/J. Draper

5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Jack, walk us through the match today. What do you think was missing?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, it was a tough match. I didn't play a good match, but I also didn't play a bad match. I thought he played incredibly well. He didn't allow me to play my tennis, I don't think.

I don't think I've reached my best level this week. Then today just a couple of dips here and there, and he took advantage. Usually when you play someone like Alexander, he's quite up and down with his level, but he was completely locked in. He's obviously been that way this week, and that's why he's beaten de Minaur and top players.

Yeah, it hurts a lot, but I just move on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Obviously, he was attacking with the drop shots as well. How tough is it for you to kind of figure out what you need to do and to think clearly when he's coming at you so fast, I guess?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, I didn't know what to do. Obviously, he served incredibly well, hitting his spots well. You know, off the groundstrokes, whenever I dropped it a little bit short, he was using that drop shot. I don't know how many drop shots he hit, but I don't think he missed hardly any either. They were all incredibly good.

It's tough, because when you know that's coming, but yet he can unload on the forehand as well, you just don't know what to do.

Yeah, like I said, usually his level would dip in and out, and there would be a lot of sporadic stuff going on, but credit to him. I mean, he was very locked in, and his level didn't drop hardly at all.

Q. As good as Bublik was, do you feel it's a missed opportunity, because being the No. 5 seed, there's an expectation you have to be quarterfinals minimum? Do you look at it like that? How do you assess it?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, of course. I mean, I'm incredibly disappointed with the result. You know, obviously I'm coming into the clay court season having barely won any matches on the clay before. I keep that in mind, obviously, but I felt good. I felt good coming into this tournament. I felt like my level was building.

Then today, you know, it's a really, really tough loss to take for me. My journey, even though like I've come up quickly this year, I've got myself to a high ranking, it's always been a steep learning curve for me. There's always been a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot of setbacks.

This is another one of those tough matches. I'll learn from it and I'll get better, and I'll use it to my advantage.

Q. Off court just before the fourth, I'm wondering what was going through your mind at that stage, and did you still have a lot of belief that you could turn things around, because it was a difficult third?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, the third set I let myself down for sure. I come out, I got broken, and then had chances in the 2-1 game and then played a really poor 3-1 game, to go 4-1 and then the set ended. But I still believed, obviously, my level could have been better, of course.

You know, even though he was playing well, stepping on everything, there was a chance that his level would drop. Obviously come out first game in the fourth, and he had four clean winners, I think.

So it was difficult, but yeah, I always had the belief I could turn things around. It was just he was playing the better tennis.

Q. I'm sure you weren't looking further ahead in the draw than Alex, but the two guys that you sort of measure yourself against, that you are chasing are Jannik and Carlos? How disappointing is it to miss out on the potential opportunity to test yourself again against Jannik at a Grand Slam?

JACK DRAPER: Big-time, for sure. I still think I'm a long way behind those boys a little bit. I still have lots to learn.

If you look at probably the ATP matches, how many matches they've played, they've probably played double the amount that I've played. They're probably a year, two years ahead of me and obviously achieved a lot more, a lot more experience. I do have a lot to do to catch up with them, in all honesty.

My level is getting better all the time, but it's not just the tennis. It's the majority, the consistency of what they're doing. Even though I've been more consistent, it's doing it when it matters, and these are the tournaments that it matters.

Yeah, I have a lot to go still to get to them, and I think that I'm working hard, I'm doing the right things, and we'll see. Yeah, definitely really difficult not to get that opportunity to play a Jannik or whoever is in the court.

Q. More Grand Slam experience for you here. How will you regroup for Wimbledon now and try to get your best-ever performance there, go deep there?

JACK DRAPER: Yeah, definitely. Although I'm obviously gutted to have lost today and stuff, I'm going to be very happy to get off the clay. You know, that's just a fact.

I'm really, really proud of my ability to have adapted and to accept the challenge of being on the clay. I was thinking coming into it that I'm going to really show myself this year on the clay and do well. In Monte-Carlo, I played there, and I lost to Fokina. I was thinking, like, This is going to be a disaster.

Then going week-to-week I've really built, and I've learned a lot, and I've got better. I come here, won three matches, made fourth round. Not probably playing the best tennis that I was playing in Madrid and Rome.

I'll be happy to get on a faster surface, a surface that I'm much more comfortable moving on. Yeah, I look forward to being back home, being on the grass, for sure.

Q. Tough one today. Just wondered when Alexander is peaking like he was for much of today, how good is his level? Is he like playing one of the top guys?

JACK DRAPER: Look, I don't know. I think it's tough. Was he playing that way because I was allowing him to maybe play that way? I'm not sure.

But definitely, yeah, he's got an incredible serve. His backhand, he barely missed today. Forehand didn't really miss. Moved well. Was hitting incredible drop shots all around.

I don't play many matches where I feel like it's almost out of my control what's going on, and he made that happen today. That's what top players do. They make you feel extremely uncomfortable, and they make you feel like you can't do much. He did that today.

Yeah, I'm not sure, but I don't think he would have played many better matches than today, I don't think, but he can be the judge of that. He was exceptional, and credit to him. Played a great level.

Q. Just going forward to the grass a little bit, obviously being a British player at Wimbledon comes with a lot of hoo-ha no matter who you are, but given your status in the game now, there's going to be a lot of hype, a lot of attention. Do you have any anxiety about that? Do you feel ready for it?

JACK DRAPER: I haven't thought about it too much. Honestly I've been focused on what I've been doing here. I've obviously spoken in the past about being anxious and the stuff at the US Open and all those sort of things, but I had to learn also a lot about the reason why I was throwing up at US Open.

I found out it was to do with the fact that I was taking lots of painkillers for an injury that I had as well. That wasn't the anxiety. I learned that lesson because I think I did it, and I had to endure in the first set or something.

So it's weird, when I'm on the tennis court, it's probably the place I'm least anxious in a way. I feel great when I'm on a tennis court, so I've learned a lot about my body.

Sometimes as tennis players, we have to take on so much fluid, and my stomach is quite sensitive, so sometimes I get a lot over tummy problems, and that causes me to throw up almost.

No, I mean, look, I think it will be an experience for me, for sure. I don't know what to expect. I feel confident. I feel happy. I've had a lot of experiences this year where I'm playing Australians in Australia and Frenchies in France.

There's not been many places where I have the crowd with me, so that will be nice to hopefully be at home and have the crowd with me. I feel like I'm still playing amazing tennis. Let's see what I can do there.

Q. Do you feel it's the kind of flaws that could linger, or do you think you're pretty good at moving on from disappointment?

JACK DRAPER: I'm hurt, and for sure I'm really disappointed. I had an opportunity today, and I missed my opportunity, for sure.

I struggle to put things in perspective, but I think I am proud of the effort that I've done on the clay. I think I've really improved. I think last year I was leaving here, first round loss, being 40 in the world and very disappointed with my tennis and not sure, you know, where I was going with it.

This year I'm leaving No. 5 in the world. I've made the fourth round. I'm playing consistently really good tennis week in and week out. Yeah, I mean, I always use the lessons from my losses. I always use the fuel and the hurt to better myself.

Yeah, it will take a couple of days probably to get over it, but I will, and I'll move on and keep on getting better.