Jack Draper has revealed that his preparations for next month's Australian Open have been adversely affected by his recent hip injury.
The British No. 1 decided to cancel a week-long training camp with Carlos Alcaraz in Spain in early December because of a “slight niggle” in his hip area.
Draper was hopeful that the injury would not affect his participation in the first Grand Slam of 2025 but he had to accept that his preparations before arriving in Melbourne would not be so good.
“Honestly, I haven't been able to train like I wanted to,” Draper said Sky Sports. “My preparation for Australia may not be that good.
“But that's the situation in the sport you have to put up with the highs and lows – and hopefully I'll give myself the best chance to play well there.
Draper is expected to fly to Australia before Christmas and had hoped to start his season by representing Great Britain in the United Cup at the end of the month, but doubts hang over his fitness and com- to participate
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Draper canceled pre-season training with Carlos Alcaraz after suffering a hip problem.
“We'll see,” Draper replied when asked if he would be available for Britain's United Cup opener. “I've been managing my body, talking to my team. It's a daily thing at this stage.
“Tennis is just a moving wheel. Every competition is there, and it feels so important, every event. And yes, since points are available, there are a lot of possibilities.
“But sometimes, you have to make the right decision, so we'll talk about it every day as a team, see what's right for me and yeah, go from there.”
Draper's injury came at the end of a breakthrough year in which he rose from outside the top 60 to 15th in the world rankings.
Draper has yet to confirm whether he will feature in Great Britain's United Cup opener against Argentina in Sydney on December 30
The 22-year-old's stunning run to the US Open semi-finals showcased his talent on the biggest stages, but he admits he still needs time to adapt to the rigors of the professional game.
“There's always frustration in tennis. There's always frustration in any sport,” Draper said. “You think you're doing great and then you pick up a niggle and you can't do what you want to do. And you have to accept that.
“You have to accept that there are amazing things that can happen – there are also very difficult times, and as a young player, I'm still dealing with everything – and also understand that a result is not which sometimes feels amazing. , it's not what you achieve, it's just coming in every day, progressing and being able to do what you love to do.”
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British No 1 Draper stunned on his way to the semi-finals of the US Open
He continued: “As a young player, I'm still learning to deal with the demands of playing on the tour, week in, week out, against a lot of these guys.
“I only played 120 games on the tour. A lot of them have played 400, 500 and I think how much I've improved from a mental, physical, emotional point of view in the last 40 games – it's a big difference.
“So to think that I'm so far behind, I can still achieve what I've been doing, I think I need more time.
“I have to keep doing the things I'm doing, keep good people around me, keep the growth mindset I always have and I think these problems will start to fix themselves until natural, because I do everything right. and I want the best for myself, so I think they will clean up.”
What's on on Sky Sports Tennis?
- United Cup with Great Britain – December 27, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- Brisbane International (ATP 250) – December 29, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- ASB Classic, Auckland (WTA 250) – December 30, 2024 – January 5, 2025
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