Jack Draper’s game has evolved at a rapid pace in 2024, with the 22-year-old winning his first ATP title in Stuttgart three months ago. A straight-set loss to compatriot Cameron Norrie at Wimbledon temporarily dampened the hype around the youngster, but in his career-best performance this week at the US Open, he looked better than ever.
The last two weeks have showcased some of the best weapons in men’s tennis.
Discreet dropshot
In the quarter-final, This shot left 10th seed Alex de Minaur The Briton has been powerless twice in nine games. He uses the disguise of an opening in his body to make his opponent believe he is going to send him a big forehand, but in reality he drops a drop shot that grazes the net.
And in the semifinals, he began to execute a completely different type of drop shot, approaching the net before crushing the ball.
“Can opener” service
This is arguably Draper’s most useful shot, making the most of his left-handed serve to the short wing of a right-handed backhand. By forcing his opponent to move aside, Draper opens up the court and immediately gains authority on the point. Before the semi-final against Jannik Sinner, Draper had won 175 of 216 points (81%) on first serves, many of which began in this way.
Bulletproof Backhand
The control and authority Draper can impose with his backhand is well above average. Being right-handed in most off-court activities, he naturally possesses strength and accuracy on his supposedly weaker side.
Well-timed aces
Of the four men’s semifinalists, Draper has the second-most aces in the tournament, behind Taylor Fritz. Progress has been made in recent months, and former coach Wayne Ferreira, who parted ways with Draper in August, told The Tennis Podcast in June: “I might help refine the serve, which we’ve been working on for the last couple of months, to make it a little bit more aggressive.”
Finished in style 🤩
Jack Draper eases into US Open third round after straight-set win over Facundo Diaz Acosta 👏 pic.twitter.com/Mea5lTUPDD
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 29, 2024
Deflected forehand
Draper’s forehand isn’t as powerful as his backhand, but he sends a good portion of it for unanswerable winners. He often hits with a curious combination of topspin and sidespin that deflects the ball sideways at the last moment to bamboozle his opponents. There’s a touch of Rafael Nadal in the way Draper loads his forehand with curveballs and topspin.
An attitude that never says no
Draper admitted during his run at the US Open that there were times in his career when he considered quitting tennis altogether. That determination to keep going has also been evident on the court at a micro level. Some of Draper’s defensive exchanges have been very similar to those of Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic.
That stubbornness was also evident in the semi-final when Draper, suffering from the intense heat and humidity, vomited on the court three times in the second set but still took Sinner to the tie-break. He showed plenty of guts on court – literally.
