Join the Miguel Delaney team: Inside Football Get exclusive insights and behind-the scenes access to the Miguel Delaney: inside newsletter Football NewsletterJoin the Miguel Delaney inside Football The following article will provide you with more information about the newsletter.“Although it’s hurt me a lot, the fact that I’ve had to miss out a long period of time, it’s also given me some perspective and given me an added motivation and fuel in my belly to push on to where I ultimately want to get to,” Jack Draper says from the first floor of Vuori’s flagship London store on Regent Street. Down below, a crowd of fans gathers on the pavement and forms a disorderly queue ahead of a Q&A with the British No 1, and there is a further reason for their excitement. There have been too few sightings of Draper of late – with injury ending his season prematurely – but armed with a new coach in Jamie Delgado, as well as new gear from his clothing partner, the 23-year-old is determined to “really go after” After a disappointing period on the sidelines, the 2026 season will begin. Draper was gaining momentum after winning his biggest career title at Indian Wells, reaching the Madrid Open Final and arriving at Wimbledon as the No. 4 player in the world. After his shock second-round loss to veteran Marin Cilic a scan revealed that Draper was suffering from painful bone bruises in his left hand. Draper was given an uncertain prognosis as to whether he’d be able to return for the US Open. “eight to nine weeks” Draper was battling bone bruising on his serving arm when he arrived at Wimbledon. (Getty Images). A few weeks before the tournament Draper began to feel a familiar sensation. In the United States he underwent an additional scan, and the results were negative. Turns out, his arm wasn’t fine, and an opportunity was missed. Draper withdrew from the US Open after one match – now dealing with “a lot of pain” – and made the difficult decision to end his season in order to let his arm heal completely. “I had to come back and find out what was going on,” Draper says. “Essentially, I think I got a scan that gave me false hope, that maybe was reported wrong. I don’t regret playing [the US Open] because I’m an athlete, I want to achieve great things. I was in such a good place leading up to Wimbledon, with my ranking, with my tennis, that I wanted to keep pushing on. It was just unfortunate that it wasn’t something that I could push on with.” While it is testament to Draper’s first half of the season that his ranking remains in the top 10, the injury has denied him his first appearance at the ATP Finals. Carlos Alcaraz has continued to lead the way, while Jannik Sinner is also dominating. In New York, the best two players in the world competed in their third grand slam final in a row, with Alcaraz’s victory concluding a trilogy where each match forced the beaten player to come back stronger. As Alcaraz, Sinner, and others push each other to new heights, their gap with the rest of world is growing. In the latest rankings, Alcaraz, Sinner, and Alexander Zverev have both twice as many points. “It’s been tough to watch because I was on a trajectory where I was trying my best to really catch those guys and do more and more with my game,” Draper says. Draper may be a few months younger than Sinner but he is older by about an year and a quarter. He belongs to the generation that includes the two stars who split the last eight Grand Slam titles. He is inspired by the level they were able to achieve so quickly and wants to be the biggest threat. “There’s so many improvements I can make, physically, mentally, with my tennis,” Draper says. “I can be more aggressive, I know that I’ve already got an amazing all-round game in terms of defending and my will to win, but now I think it’s about really utilising my weapons to be able to challenge, especially those two guys who are at the top of the game.” Draper won the Indian Wells title by defeating Alcaraz (Getty Images). After admitting to having come back “too soon” ahead of the US Open, he doesn’t want to rush his next steps, having learned his lesson. “Look, maybe that’s part of the reason why I ended up getting a little bit of an injury because I was really pushing hard to improve fast.” Draper is confident that his recovery will be successful this time. The 23-year old has reflected on his frustrations in the sport during his time off the court. This is part of a broader, recurring conversation about a tennis schedule that many believe to be too long and intense. Draper was upset to hear that Holger Rune ruptured his Achilles tendon while he was chasing a spot in the ATP Finals last month. He was outspoken about calling on the ATP Tour to change the calendar and to reduce the number of matches. “adapt” open image in galleryDraper’s first-round victory at the US Open is his only match since the Wimbledon finals, during a second half of the tennis season that has seen many injuries. (Getty Images)Along with the number of tournaments played each year, Draper cites softer balls, slower courts and new racket technology as factors contributing to the increasing physical demands. open image in galleryDraper’s first-round win at the US Open was his only match since Wimbledon in what has been an injury-hit second half of the season (Getty Images)As well as the number of tournaments in the season, Draper cites softer balls, slower courts and new racket technology, combining with the increased fitness of the players, that are making matches longer and adding to the strain on their bodies. There are many issues to solve, but it’s Draper’s opinion that more problems are created by a lack of collaboration between the stakeholders to fix those issues. “Tennis is a sport where the players are the prize asset and there’s nowhere near good enough communication between the grand slams, the ATP, the WTA, the ITF,” He says. “Everyone works separately to each other and that’s why I believe the sport is not the best sport it could be.” The season is drawing to a close and there’s a strong desire for changes. In August, Draper’s new status towards the top of the game was reflected when he co-signed a letter to the grand slams from leading players on both the ATP and WTA which outlined a series of proposed reforms. In their renewed demands, the players stated that they want prize money at the grand slams to increase to 22 per cent of the tournament’s revenues over the next five years, as well as the grand slams making contributions towards a player fund, supporting pensions, healthcare and maternity pay. Draper is among those who have spoken out in response to the lack of action from the tournaments. Draper is one of the players who signed a joint letter, with other players in the ATP/WTA, urging grand slams and tournaments to increase prize money for players and improve player welfare. (Vuori). However, current players already have more earning potential than ever. Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka won a record £3.8m for winning the US Open singles titles in September, and prize money increased at all four of the grand slam events in 2025. The prize money at Wimbledon doubled in the last decade. Despite missing half of the season due to injury, Draper’s prize money in 2025 is listed at £2.6m, with his career winnings already at £6.4m. The top stars insist that prize money is not the only thing they want. They also stress its importance to lower-ranked players to sustain their career. Draper drives a second-hand VW Polo in southwest London, even when at home. But do the high earners run the risk of appearing out-of touch if they demand more from grand slams tournaments? “We do earn a lot of money, I completely understand that,” Draper says. “My granddad, he worked in a supermarket for 50 years, and sometimes he looks at my prize money and he says, ‘Oh my God, what is this?’. So I completely understand that side of things. There’s not been great transparency between the events and the players, and although there is a lot of money going to the players, I think it’s people outside the sport having an open mind that it’s not necessarily always the players complaining about wanting more money. Players are just advocating for positive changes because things aren’t good enough.” Draper was excited to try something new after his Nike deal ended. While the decision to leave the sportswear giant – who have both Alcaraz and Sinner in their stable – raised some eyebrows, Draper was enthused to join a brand that draws inspiration from the coastal Californian lifestyle, while also standing out. View image gallery‘I think Vuori is all about expressing who you want to be’ (Vuori). Tired of always having to play against opponents who wear the same kit as him, Draper will be able to embrace his creativity and enhance his identity as a footballer. “I think I’ve always been someone who’s wanted to be unique,” He says. “Tennis is a sport where everyone’s got their own different styles of playing and they can express themselves with their personality on the court. I think Vuori is all about expressing who you want to be. This ticks every box.”
2025-11-07 08:05:08
Jack Draper interview: ‘It’s been tough to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’
