‘I was almost sold a dream’ says Jack Draper as US Open star reveals moment he was ready to quit tennis for good

JACK DRAPER revealed he “was almost sold a dream” and nearly quit tennis before his stunning US Open run.

The British star, 22, has produced his best performance at a Grand Slam in New York this year.

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His comprehensive victory over Tomas Machac secured his spot in a maiden Major quarter-final, where he faces Alex De Minaur.

And he reached the last eight in Flushing Meadows without dropping a single set.

But Draper – who is the British No1 and seeded 25th at the US Open – may have never enjoyed the special run after threatening to pack in tennis for good amid difficulties earlier in his career.

Draper, the heir to Andy Murray as the king of British tennis, said: “There were times when I was maybe going to stop playing.

“I had multiple moments. When you come out of the juniors, it’s not the strawberries and cream of Wimbledon that I expected.

“It was a real grind for a few years, getting my head around how hard I’m going to have to work to be a top player, and the travel and the sacrifice.”

Draper’s dad Roger was the chief executive of the LTA while mum Nicky was a former junior British champion.

Tennis certainly runs in the blood – so it was little surprise that he showed plenty of promise as a youngster.

But that led to unrealistic and unhelpful advice from some that he was destined for greatness and a successful career at the top of a game which offers no guarantees on the senior tour for talented juniors.

As a result, Draper went through a crisis point during Covid while still a teenager.

Then he faced the reality of hanging up his racquets again a couple of years later.

Despite his strapping physique, his 6ft 4ins frame struggled to withstand the rigours of professional tennis and his body was decimated by a wave of injuries and exhaustion.

He even admitted his “body was just made of glass at that point” but investments in his physical conditioning team are reaping the rewards.

Part-time model Draper added: “It got to lockdown, and during that period, I think I had a real reflection and genuinely thought that maybe I wasn’t cut out for tennis.

“I had good people around me, I came back, and then had another little moment in 2022 where, with all my injuries that I was having and the hard times I was going through, [I wondered] whether I was going to be able to be a top player.

“When I was younger, I was almost sold a dream. I thought it was going to be easy for me, but the reality was, it was incredibly difficult.

“But in the last year or so, I’m beginning to believe more and more in my capabilities, and in the possibility that hopefully one day those dreams can come true.”

Now enjoying his best and most consistent spell on the court, the Surrey southpaw landed his first ATP Tour title in Stuttgart in June 2024 then followed that up by beating Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s.

An early exit at Wimbledon was a bitter pill to swallow and he failed to cope in the heat at the Olympics in Paris – before a battling run to the Cincinnati quarters boosted his ranking to a career-high No25 going into the US Open.

Part of the success is down to some curfews imposed by his team – and Draper himself.

In New York, he has resisted the urge to enjoy the nightlife and buzz on offer to settle for Deliveroo meals and movies in his hotel room – while it’s de-caf cappuccinos to prevent any caffeine overdoses.

PA:Press Association

AFP

He has endured his fair share of physical struggles[/caption]