New British No 1 Jack Draper sets sights on further glory after Stuttgart success

A lot can change in 12 months – just ask Jack Draper

The 22-year-old’s talent has always been evident, but physical issues were a constant issue throughout the early stages of his career.

A year ago the Brit missed the grass court season due to a shoulder injury, falling outside the top 100 of the ATP Rankings due to his absence from tour – which stretched from his French Open retirement to the US Open.

Now, after a bumpy clay court season, Draper is in career-best form.

With a new and improved serve and his ferocious groundstrokes as vicious as ever, Draper stormed to the first ATP title of his career in Stuttgart on Sunday, beating former champion Matteo Berrettini.

That result propelled him to a new career-high of 31st – all but ensuring a Wimbledon seeding – but also made him British No 1 for the first time, replacing Cameron Norrie.

“It feels amazing,” said Draper at Queen’s on Monday afternoon.

“Last year I was watching from home, doing my rehab at the NTC, and I knew I’d be out for a long time.

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“To come here this year and be in the position I’m in, I feel I have made so many improvements and grown so much as a player and just experiences and perseverance through the tough times, I’m really proud of the way things have gone.

“I’m very happy to be back here. It’s great to be back on home soil.”

Tennis is a sport where there is truly no rest for the wicked, however, and just 24 hours after his Stuttgart, he finds himself preparing for the biggest Queen’s campaign of his career.

Hopes will be higher than ever for Draper when he steps onto court on Tuesday to face Mariano Navone – an opponent with limited experience on the grass at best.

Many would have wanted time for two such important career milestones to settle in, but Draper knows full well about the demands of a life lived constantly on the road.

“Tennis is a relentless sport. There is not much time to, I suppose, sort of celebrate or reflect on achievements or, you know, have a good time.

“I feel immensely proud of last week. There has been lots of tough moments, and I know all the hard work I have been putting in for many, many months now.

“It’s nice that me and my team can celebrate and get a reward for it. You know, it was tough yesterday was going to be a tough match – but I’m extremely proud of the way I came through.

“But then it’s reality, really. It’s get on a flight, get to the hotel at Queen’s, train, and I’ve got a match on Tuesday.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I want to keep on progressing, I want to keep on bettering myself and improving, and having the chance to play in these amazing events.

“I will reflect on it at some point, but for now it’s just full focus on being here and hopefully doing well.”

Draper has been handed a fascinating draw at the Queen’s Club; should he beat Navone, he will likely face world No 2 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz .

That will be the toughest of tests for the 22-year-old but, win or lose this week, his ambitions have not quite been reached yet.

Becoming British No 1 is a huge step, but world No 31 does not look like it will stay the peak of his career for long.

He added: “I said a couple days ago when asked about being No. 1 Brit; it’s a huge honour and it’s a huge privilege, but I hadn’t thought about that at all.

“My goal is to honestly be one of the top players in the world. That’s sort of been what I have wanted.

“By winning a title last week, it helps me believe more and more, because it’s been tough and I have been close a few times and not quite getting it over the line. I think it really changes my belief system a little bit as to what I can achieve.

“Maybe it’s just being a tennis player, but my mindset is I’m never too satisfied with most things. I always want to do more, want to achieve more.

“I think tennis does generally keep you pretty grounded, because you might win one week and you might be on an all-time high, and then you might lose the next day. That brings you down to earth.

“It’s important to stay level regardless of wins and losses. I know that if I won Stuttgart last week and I got way over the top, then there is a chance to take my eye off the ball this week. That’s not something you want to do.

“I’ve just got to keep on going.”

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