A fourth-round appearance at a Grand Slam is an opportunity that Draper is relishing after a “tough year” with injuries in 2023 that left him considering his future in the sport.
Draper made an impressive run to the last 16 in New York last year, but he said that he had been still “really struggling” with a shoulder injury he had sustained on his French Open debut a few months earlier.
The same issue caused Draper to miss that year’s entire grass-court season, including his home Slam at Wimbledon.
The 22-year year-old credits a return to his old fitness trainer, Steven Kotze, as the reason behind his clean bill of health in 2024.
“I feel very different now,” Draper added.
“I’m not waking up every day worried about playing five sets. I have so much more confidence in my mind and my body through experiences of playing on the tour now this year consistently.”
The Briton, who is at a career-high ranking of 25 and won his first ATP title in June in Stuttgart, now has a chance to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final in a draw that is shorn of 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic as well as Alcaraz.
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