Draper

Draper was modelling next summer’s collection for one of his sponsors last week and has been working out regularly at the National Tennis Centre in London this week.

The work is primarily physical at the moment, and when pre-season training begins in earnest later this month, the initial on-court drills are likely to be low in intensity.

The British number one first felt discomfort in his upper left serving arm during the clay court season in the spring, and following a scan after Wimbledon, did not hit any serves for a month.

But the period of rest proved insufficient. He won his first-round match at the US Open, but withdrew before the second, and the opportunity to make his debut at the season ending ATP Finals was gone.

”He’s top 10 and he played half of the year. Just to say how good he is…” Mouratoglou added.

“His only problem for the moment is the injuries: he has been through several injuries already in the past.

“I always thought he was going to be a top player, but for every player that is supposed to become a top player, there are things to solve.

“For him, it’s to find a way to be injury free as much as possible because that’s what made him lose a little bit of time otherwise he would be higher [in the rankings], I think.”

Draper said before the tournament that he was “ready to go” despite struggling with a bruised humerus – the bone that runs from the shoulder to elbow – on his left serving arm.

He arrived in New York having not played since his second-round defeat at Wimbledon in early July, having withdrawn from key tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati in order to recover.

The Englishman competed in the US Open mixed doubles tournament alongside Jessica Pegula last week and wore a sleeve on his injured arm during his first-round match.

He admitted afterwards his presence at the tournament had been in doubt, saying: “I wasn’t too sure if I was going to make it here.”

Draper practised in New York on Wednesday morning but later announced he would be unable to continue in the tournament.

It is a bitter blow for the Briton, who had his breakout major performance in New York last year.

His ranking points from his run to the last four will drop off after the tournament, which could impact his bid to qualify for the year-end ATP Tour Finals.

A “nervous” Norrie was worried about being first on court at 11:00 local time and need to fuel up before playing an opponent who was ranked inside the top 20 a year ago – and against whom he had lost three of four past meetings.

Ultimately the 30-year-old did not need to be overly concerned, as Norrie was leading 7-5 6-4 when Korda, 25, ended the match early.

American Korda only returned to tour action last week following a near three-month shin stress fracture lay-off.

He called a medical timeout at the start of the second set against Norrie when he appeared to be struggling with an abdominal issue.

Although Korda persevered for the remainder of the set he was unwilling to go any further, sending Norrie through to face either Argentine Francisco Comesana or American Alex Michelsen.

Norrie, who withdrew from the 2024 US Open with an arm injury, made his debut at Flushing Meadows in 2017 but still feels the nerves in New York.

“I was very nervous for the match,” said Norrie.

“Playing a Grand Slam match at 11am and trying to get rice down at 10am is not easy!”

On Korda’s retirement, Norrie said: “I feel for Sebastian. He’s been out the whole summer, he’s an amazing talent and he’s beaten me the last few times we’ve played.

“It’s tough to see him ending like that.”

An excitable atmosphere continued as the fans – who paid between $25 (£18.50) and $145 (£107) for what British doubles player Jamie Murray described as a “glorified exhibition” – danced to tunes played by an on-court DJ and acted up when appearing on the big screen.

Both sets of players smiled and laughed throughout, further illustrating how the stars are using the event to tune up for their greater priority of the singles.

For some, it underlined the view of the doubles specialists sidelined that a Grand Slam tournament had lost value.

Pegula, who has been ranked world number one in the women’s doubles, and Draper were also a scratch pairing but had too much quality against a pair who are less experienced in tour-level doubles.

For Draper, it was third time lucky – having seen previous planned partners Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa withdraw through injury.

Pegula and Draper’s mutual will-to-win was more evident than some of the pairings, looking focused as they later beat Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev to reach the last four.

The Russian pair earlier knocked out 24-time major singles champion Novak Djokovic and his fellow Serb Olga Danilovic in the first round,

There was the loss of another star name before Tuesday’s play started, when men’s world number one Jannik Sinner withdrew through illness.

British number ones Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper will face each other in this week’s new-look US Open mixed doubles event in New York.

Raducanu, 22, is partnering five-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, while Draper, 23, will play with American Jessica Pegula after their original partners, Tommy Paul and Paula Badosa, both withdrew.

Organisers were heavily criticised in February after announcing that the mixed doubles competition would be a standalone event on 19-20 August – before the singles tournament begins on 24 August.

The 16 pairs involved will compete for $1m (£749,077) at Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu, who won the US Open title in 2021, and Spaniard Alcaraz have been handed a wildcard entry for the two-day tournament.

Before the event, Alcaraz, 22, is taking on world number one Jannik Sinner for the fourth time this season, in the final of the Cincinnati Open in Ohio on Monday.

Italian Sinner, 24, who is also a wildcard entrant, has been re-paired with Czech Katerina Siniakova after his partner, American Emma Navarro, withdrew.

Draper and Pegula, meanwhile, have qualified directly and have been given the top seeding, because both players are inside the top five in the singles rankings.

The first two rounds will take place on Tuesday and the semi-finals and final will be played on Wednesday.

Just four games will be required to win a set in matches before the final, with no-advantage scoring (four points will be needed to win a game) and 10-point match tie-breaks instead of a third set throughout.

British number one Jack Draper’s wait for a breakout Wimbledon run continues after a shock second-round defeat by 36-year-old Marin Cilic.

Fourth seed Draper lost 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 to Croatia’s Cilic, who reached the SW19 final in 2017 but is now ranked 83rd in the world.

It means the 23-year-old Englishman has still not reached the third round in any of his four appearances at the All England Club.

Draper was widely considered as the fourth favourite for the men’s title – behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

But, in the first Championships of the post-Andy Murray era, Draper has suffered another frustrating early exit.

“Obviously, [I feel] really upset. Probably one of the toughest losses I feel,” an emotional Draper told a news conference.

“I thought Cilic played an incredible match from start to finish. [He] didn’t let up. He deserved the win.”

The US Open semi-finalist was pushed back behind the baseline from the start against Cilic, who dominated the opening two sets with his huge serve and deep returns.

Draper was now in a position which he had never been in before – needing to win a professional match from two sets down.

A drop in Cilic’s pace enabled the home favourite to take control of the third set, but Draper still did not look completely comfortable in the fourth as his wily opponent recovered to edge a tense contest.

Heavily puffing his cheeks out as he left Court One was a sign of the difficulties he had endured on a testing evening from which he will hope to learn.

Since Draper’s last appearance at Wimbledon, he has reached a Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, won one of the biggest titles on the ATP Tour in Indian Wells and become only the fourth British man to crack the world’s top five.

That means he is widely regarded as the fourth favourite – behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic – at this year’s grass-court major.

A big reason why left-handed Draper can thrive on the slicker surface is his serve.

The power and variety of his opening shot enables him to start points strongly.

When he lands his first serve, it is effective. His first-serve percentage is only the 43rd best on the ATP Tour this year, but he is 14th in terms of points won after it.

Against 38th-ranked Baez, Draper broke in the first game of the match and the strength of his first serve meant the Argentine had little chance of responding.

He landed 78% of his first serves in the first set, winning 86% of those points with the help of four aces.

By the time Baez decided he could not continue, Draper had won 23 of his 25 first-serve points (93%).

“I served well, although I could have been a bit cleaner off the ground,” said Draper.

Not worrying about his body breaking down means Draper can have more trust in executing his key weapons, which are well-suited to the grass.

Coach James Trotman, a fellow Briton who has come through the LTA’s coaching pathway, is helping Draper learn how to play aggressively in the right moments.

That means being willing to play higher-risk drop-shots and spring forwards to the net, as well as unleashing his groundstrokes from the baseline.

“He’s much more aware what his strengths are – that is the biggest change this year,” said Leon Smith, Britain’s Davis Cup captain.

“You don’t want to be extending points if you have the chance to get the first strike in.

“He’s not afraid to step in and be brave, including in the big moments.”

Being willing to take risks under pressure has been where Draper has excelled this season, according to the ATP statistics.

Draper is second behind world number one Sinner in the Tour’s ‘under pressure rating’ – which combines the percentage of break points converted, break points saved, tie-breaks won and deciding sets won.

Jack Draper’s hopes of winning Queen’s were ended by Jiri Lehecka when the British number one was beaten in a thrilling semi-final while suffering from tonsillitis.

The 23-year-old, who lost 6-4 4-6 7-5, had been feeling unwell for a few days but said he “wouldn’t have pulled out for anything” as he chased a childhood dream to reach the final on home soil.

Draper had battled back from losing the first set to take the second and then went toe-to-toe with his Czech opponent in the third.

But Lehecka got a crucial break at 5-5, prompting Draper to smash his racquet into the advertising hoardings as he knew just how damaging that was to his chances.

And so it proved as Lehecka served out the victory in west London to advance to Sunday’s final, where he will face either top seed Carlos Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut.

He goes through to his fifth ATP Tour final but the wait continues for a first British singles champion since five-time winner Andy Murray’s most recent victory in 2016.

Draper will now take a few days rest before resuming his preparations for Wimbledon, which starts on 30 June.

“Today’s probably the worst I have felt,” said Draper, who was diagnosed with tonsillitis on Friday.

“Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I’m in the semi-finals at Queen’s. I’d probably go on court with a broken leg. I wouldn’t have pulled out for anything.”

Draper had got off to the perfect start against Nakashima with an early break but the rest of his day was far from straightforward.

But, as he has increasingly been showing in a year that has taken him to a career-high fourth in the world, he manages to bring out his best tennis in the most difficult moments.

From the second-serve ace that warded off a break to a brave drop shot at 15-40, Draper showed he is not afraid to take risks and this confident approach is paying off here.

Having lost the second set to world number 32 Nakashima when he sent a forehand long, Draper tightened up on his errors in the third and broke serve in the seventh game with one of the stunning forehand winners that have become a hallmark of his game.

He had thought he had sealed the game on the previous point with a backhand but the automatic line call of “out” had been drowned out by the crowd’s cheers.

He had to save a break point while serving for the match at 5-4 but recovered to seal victory after two hours and 22 minutes, delivering a 14th ace during that final game.

Draper will now play only his second last-four match on home soil after reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne in 2022.

His progress here will help his preparations for Wimbledon, which starts on 30 June, and the top-four seeding is a bonus for him going into the grass-court Grand Slam where he will be viewed as the great home hope.

“It’s a definite huge step for me,” Draper added.

“I remember last year going in ranked around 30 or 40. To be inside the top four come Wimbledon one year around, that’s massive progress.

“I live and breathe the sport, and I’m obsessed with progressing and obsessed with becoming the player that I want to become all the time and achieve the things I want to.

“It’s another step in the right direction.”

All eyes have been on Draper this week as he takes on the pressure of being the great British hope with Wimbledon approaching at the end of this month.

The 23-year-old has said he is comfortable dealing with that weight of expectation, and underlined that belief with this battling display.

He did, however, start slowly as a run of 11 consecutive points for Popyrin – briefly interrupted by an unexpected sudden gust of wind that sent a hat and bits of paper on to the court – led to the Australian taking the first set.

It was the second match in a row where Draper has taken his time to get into his groove and he revealed he had been struggling a bit with illness this week.

“I’ve not been feeling great actually, to be honest, the last day and a half,” he told BBC Sport.

“I was a bit flat out there. My body feels good but I was a bit under the weather.”

Draper will have his eyes firmly set on claiming a maiden title at Queen’s but he will have another incentive to keep progressing as reaching the semi-finals will mean he is seeded fourth at Wimbledon.

That would mean avoiding facing the likes of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner.

“It’s obviously a big thing,” Draper said. “I think it would definitely help. But at the same time, I don’t think I will think about that at all.

“I can’t control who I’m playing, can’t control any of those things, but I can control what I do between now and the next match, and I’ll prepare the best I can.”

Suffering a shock loss in the Roland Garros last 16 is a mark of how far Draper has come in the past year.

Twelve months ago in Paris, the 23-year-old Englishman suffered a chastening first-round defeat to 176th-ranked Dutchman Jesper de Jong while still figuring out what his most effective game style was.

Realising he was trying to be too aggressive, Draper sought a better balance.

Winning his first ATP title just a few weeks later helped boost his confidence before he enjoyed a run to the US Open semi-finals.

Improved fitness has also been a key factor.

After winning the biggest title of his career on the Indian Wells hard courts in March, he quickly set about using his most potent tools – first serve and forehand – on the clay.

Reaching the Madrid Open final showed he had the ability to be succeed on the surface and the fifth seed played maturely in his first three matches in Paris, before being thrown off-kilter by Bublik.

“I struggle to put things in perspective, but I am proud of the effort I’ve done on the clay. I think I’ve really improved,” Draper said.

“This year I’m leaving number five in the world, I’ve made the fourth round, I’m playing consistently really good tennis week in and week out.

“I always use the fuel and the hurt to better myself.”

JACK DRAPER is not only a huge rising star in tennis but also models for fashion magazines including Vogue.

But who is the Tennis-playing supermodel dating? Here’s everything you need to know about British No 1 – who has reached the semi-final of the US Open.

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Who is Jack Draper?

Jack was born on 22 December 2001, in Sutton, Surrey.

He is a star both on and off the court, as he has been ranked as high as No.25 in singles – although he will likely climb the rankings after his heroics at the US Open.

Although he is yet to win a Grand Slam, tennis is something that runs in his family.

His brother, Ben, is a former pro and his mum, Nicky, is a junior champion turned coach.

His father was even the chief executive of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), which is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

Jack is known for his unusual way of playing tennis.

He plays left-handed despite the fact that he is naturally right-handed.

This unique style allows him to play a backhand like a second forehand.

Who has Jack modelled for?

Jack is signed to IMG Models, an agency that has also signed Gisele Bündchen and Heidi Klum.

In 2024, the 6ft 4in star was featured in Vogue wearing some big labels, from Loewe to Louis Vuitton.

He has even attracted the attention of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who sat in his box to watch his decisive victory over Tomáš  Macháč.

Who has Jack Draper dated?

The tennis star and Vogue model is notoriously private about his love life and has said that he spends a lot of time on the court.

Even when Zendaya, the star of Luca Guadagnino’s 2024 tennis film Challengers, attended one of Jack’s matches he didn’t notice.

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He told Tatler:  “I’m not that great with celebrities.

“We were at the US Open last year and everyone was making a big fuss over this girl who walked in and I had no idea who she was. I think she was called Zendaya?”

When asked about whether the film’s raunchy take on tennis is accurate, he said: “I wouldn’t know much about that.

“Right now I’m giving myself the best chance to progress and beat the best players in the world.”

Jack is known to be close with British tennis superstar Emma Raducanu.

In a fashion shoot with Vogue, he described Emma as “a real special talent”.

However, there isn’t much to suggest that the close pals are anything more than friends.

Over the past 12 months, Draper has enjoyed a steep rise and achieved a series of notable career landmarks.

He has moved into the world’s top five after reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final at last year’s US Open, winning ATP titles on grass and hard courts, as well as reaching his first clay-court final in Madrid last month.

Observers with a deep understanding of the game have long insisted Draper has the ability to perform well on the red dirt, with British former world number four Tim Henman telling BBC Sport recently his best attributes – his left-handed serve and crunching forehand – could “work on any surface”.

Once he got going against Bellucci, Draper proved that again.

Cutting out double faults helped his first serve became increasingly dominant – climbing from 58% of points won with the opening shot in the first set to 92% in the second – while the volume of forehand winners also increased.

The venom of this shot was too hot for Bellucci to handle – and wowed the Paris crowd, who regularly gasped at Draper’s power and accuracy.

Another forehand zinger on his first match point clinched victory and a second-round meeting with either France’s Gael Monfils or Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien on Thursday.

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash tells BBC Sport’s Russell Fuller Britain’s Jack Draper is the only player on the men’s tour who poses a serious threat to the dominance of Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner.

READ MORE: French Open – schedule, seedings and how to follow

Listen to 5 Live Sport’s French Open preview on BBC Sounds.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu could face three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the second round of the French Open.

The 22-year-old, who was thrashed by Swiatek at January’s Australian Open, must first beat China’s Wang Xinyu in Paris.

British men’s number one Jack Draper plays Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in his opening match, with top-ranked Jannik Sinner a potential quarter-final opponent.

Italy’s Sinner, who has recently returned from a three-month doping ban, will start against France’s Arthur Rinderknech.

Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz opens his title defence against Japan’s former world number four Kei Nishikori.

Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam, has been pitted against American Mackenzie McDonald.

The Serb great, who turned 38 on Thursday, has German third seed Alexander Zverev and Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in his quarter of the draw.

The draw was conducted at Roland Garros on Thursday, with France and Paris St-Germain footballer Ousmane Dembele picking out the names, before the clay-court Grand Slam begins on Sunday.