When Argentine Francisco Cerundolo vanquished Jack Draper in the Davis Cup on Friday, the world No 31 said in his on court interview that “I played the match of my life today.”
In the stands of the AO Arena a Mancunian accent could be heard loudly in reply: “You only won because our Jack was bloody tired.”
Numerous voices in the stands chimed in agreement.
This sense of ownership the crowd of over 9,000 had over Draper in his 7-6, 7-5 defeat shows how the 22-year-old has firmly endeared himself to the British tennis public, especially in light of his US Open run.
The world No 20’s feats in Flushing Meadows came at the perfect time, as Sir Andy Murray retired just over a month before.
Emma Raducanu’s remarks about Murray being “old news” seems off the mark because of what he did for British tennis. He transcended the sport and gained that rare national treasure status for a sportsperson. This was for both his on and off-court endeavours, including three major titles and two Olympic gold medals.
But with Draper so quickly having success at a major after Murray’s retirement the question must be asked: will this expectation that he emulates a man he calls his idol make or break him?
Frankness reflects strength of character
A trait Draper shares with Murray is his honesty. After his semi-final defeat in New York he talked openly about anxiety and the illness that overcame him. The fact he is talking about mental health, this early in his career, shows a strength of character but also the outlook of a Gen Z athlete.
Draper looked the part in his dayglo pink tennis shoes on the court in Manchester. He was expressive every time he won or lost a point in a match where, at times, they were played with the length and intensity of games. He also looked fatigued and was open in declaring the tennis calendar “mental” and how “it’s going to be very hard for players of my age to achieve longevity any more.”
He did not use this as an excuse for his loss but rather it seems part of his nature. He is perhaps stepping up into this ambassadorial role in British tennis with Murray now on the golf courses rather than the tennis courts.
Draper was also frank in finding his transformation in one year from Davis Cup rookie to de facto team leader as British No 1 difficult.
Shouldering high expectations
“It feels very different,” he said. “I feel I’m a very different player all round, my experiences, my ranking, not having Andy and Cam [Norrie] here is a bit different.
“But yeah, it’s been tough for me so far. I had a really good match against [Thanasi] Kokkinakis and then [Miomir] Kecmanovic last year. Today, I feel I’ve played a guy playing 10/10 tennis and who can do no wrong. I feel gutted about today, it’s an important match on Sunday and I’ll be ready to go.”
As well as the on-court success, part of what helped Murray cut through were his strong stances on supporting women in sport and tennis, as well as speaking up as Draper is now.
The Sutton man has a boy-next-door charm and British tennis insiders speak with much fondness of how he cares about causes such as wheelchair tennis and diversity in the sport. That contradicts the glamorous image projected from his part-time modelling contract with IMG including a spread in Vogue and having the publication’s editor-in-chief and celebrity tennis fan Dame Anna Wintour in his player’s box during the US Open.
This flirtation with the fashion world would not have been up Sir Andy’s street but it shows that Draper is willing to embrace the wider recognition that will come with his elevation if he were to break through. Yet he does not overshare on social media, which shows a certain levity.
Draper’s game has all the ingredients to help him transcend British tennis, but much will depend on how he handles that psychological pressure as Britain’s great tennis hope. Sunday’s must-win Davis Cup tie against Canada will be another step in his journey.
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