Jack Draper had his best season on the ATP Tour in 2025, which ended early due to injury.
Before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with bone bruising in his arm, the British number one had cracked the top five for the first time, achieving a career-high of fourth in the world in June.
Draper clinched a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells in March, defeating the likes of Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune en route to hoisting the trophy.
He also reached finals at the Qatar Open and the Madrid Open, and was displaying an incredible level of tennis.
Draper had his breakthrough year in 2024, and recently, the 23-year-old revealed there was a moment last season where he knew he had to make changes to ultimately get to the level he has been operating at in 2025.
Jack Draper discusses his need for improvement in 2024
In an interview with ‘The Tennis Mentor’, Draper said: “Coaches always say you have got to be more attacking, and that is all good and well, but I feel like, as a player, you have got to experience losing matches because you’re not doing the right thing.
“I went through a period when I was about 40th in the world last year, and I lost four matches 7-6 in the third [set] against really top players.
Where will Alexander Zverev finish 2026 ranked?
“That was a moment where I had to look at myself and think that I need to go out there and win those matches. They are not just going to give it to me in those tight moments.
“It was that moment in my head where I thought, if I want to be a really great player then I have to be a complete player, not just someone who is going to make them miss.
“Also, from my perspective, it is a fun way of playing tennis. You watch guys like Alcaraz and Sinner at the moment and they are playing so freely.
“I think that is a big part of the sport right now, to just express yourself on the court.”
Jack Draper’s results against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Draper is one of the few players on the ATP Tour who have managed to beat both Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz at tour-level events.
He first played the Italian back in 2021, and got the better of him in the round of 32 at Queen’s, winning in straight sets 7-6, 7-6.
Three years later, however, Sinner earned revenge by besting Draper in the 2024 US Open semifinals with a straight-sets victory of his own.
Against Alcaraz, Draper has picked up two wins and four losses, with his first triumph over the Spaniard also coming at Queen’s in 2024.
There, he defeated Alcaraz 7-6, 6-3, and came out on top against him once more at the 2025 Indian Wells Open.
Draper did lose his most recent clash with Alcaraz, however, which came at the Italian Open earlier this season.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
