Jack Draper didn’t just play a tennis tournament in New York; he survived one. If you watched the 2024 Jack Draper US Open campaign, you saw more than just a lefty with a massive serve. You saw a guy physically falling apart on Arthur Ashe Stadium, vomiting into a bin mid-match, and somehow still finding the guts to swing. It was gritty. It was honestly kind of gross at times. But it was exactly what British tennis needed after years of wondering who would finally take the torch from Andy Murray.
For a long time, Draper was the "glass man." Great talent, fragile hamstrings. He’d show up, win a set against a top-ten player, and then his body would just... quit. That changed in 2024. He didn't just show up; he steamrolled through the draw without dropping a single set until the semifinals. Think about that for a second. In a sport where matches can go five hours, he was clinical. He made the second week look easy, which is something very few Brits not named Murray have done in the last two decades.
The Physical Toll of the Jack Draper US Open Semifinal
Let's talk about that semifinal against Jannik Sinner. It was brutal. New York in September isn't just hot; it’s like a wet sauna that smells like pretzels and diesel fumes. By the second set, Draper was visibly struggling. He wasn't just tired; his body was reacting to the intense anxiety and physical exertion of the biggest moment of his life. He vomited on court multiple times.
"It's a physical sport, obviously," Draper said after the match, essentially downplaying the fact that he was emptying his stomach in front of 20,000 people. Sinner, who eventually won the title, looked like a machine, while Draper looked human. That’s the difference at the absolute top of the ATP tour right now. Sinner and Alcaraz have this weird, alien-like recovery ability. Jack is still building that engine.
People forget that Draper is 6'4". Moving that kind of frame around a hard court for three weeks is a logistical nightmare for the joints. His run wasn't just about forehands; it was about the work he did with his trainer, Steve Kotze, to actually stay on the court. In previous years, a run like this would have ended with a mid-tournament withdrawal. This time, he pushed through the nausea and the cramps. He lost, sure, but he proved he belongs in the conversation.
Why the Left-Handed Serve is a Nightmare in Flushing Meadows
If you've ever played tennis, you know lefty serves are a pain. Now imagine one coming at you at 130mph with a nasty slice that pulls you into the front row of the stands. That’s what Draper did to Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals. De Minaur is arguably the fastest guy on tour—a literal "Speed Demon"—and Jack basically made him look like he was running in sand.
The Jack Draper US Open strategy was simple:
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- First serve wide to the ad-court to open the space.
- Follow it up with a heavy cross-court forehand.
- Repeat until the opponent gives up.
It sounds basic, but the execution was terrifyingly consistent. He didn't just rely on power, though. He showed a touch at the net that most guys his size don't have. He’s got these soft hands that allow him to drop volleys short, forcing players like Tomas Machac to sprint forward only to get lobbed. It’s a sophisticated brand of tennis. It’s not just "big man hit ball hard."
Breaking the "British Hype" Curse
We do this thing in the UK where we crown someone the "Next Big Thing" before they've even won a Challenger title. We did it with Kyle Edmund, we did it with Dan Evans, and we definitely did it with Emma Raducanu. Draper has dealt with this since he was 17. Being the son of Roger Draper (former LTA Chief Executive) didn't help—people love to scream "nepotism" until they see the kid actually hit a ball.
What made the 2024 run different was the lack of drama. He wasn't the "underdog" in his own mind. When he beat de Minaur, he didn't collapse in shock. He looked like a guy who expected to be there. That mental shift is massive. You can see it in his eyes during changeovers; he isn't looking at the celebrity row or the cameras. He's staring at his strings, figuring out the next return.
Honestly, his personality fits New York. He’s got that slightly moody, focused energy that the US Open crowd feeds off of. He’s done the Vogue shoots, he likes the fashion side of things, but on the court, he’s a scrapper. He’s sort of a mix of a modern power player and an old-school grinder.
The Sinner Rivalry and the Future
Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper are actually friends. They played doubles together in Montreal just weeks before the US Open. That’s rare at the top. Usually, these guys treat each other like rival CEOs trying to take over the same company. But after their semifinal, they shared a genuine moment at the net.
Sinner is the benchmark. He’s the world number one for a reason. What Draper learned in New York is that his "B-plus" game can beat 95% of the tour, but to beat the Sinner-Alcaraz tier, he needs a "steady A." He can't afford the physical lapses. He can't afford to have his blood sugar or hydration levels tank because of nerves.
The stats from that match tell a specific story:
- Draper’s second serve points won dropped significantly after the first hour.
- Unforced errors crept up as the humidity rose.
- Sinner’s baseline depth stayed consistent, while Jack’s balls started landing shorter.
It’s all fixable. That’s the scary part for the rest of the tour. Jack Draper is a work in progress who just reached a Grand Slam semifinal.
The Gear and the Tech Behind the Run
You might have noticed the kit. He’s a Nike athlete, and they’ve clearly positioned him as one of their marquee names alongside Alcaraz. But the real tech is in his racquet. He uses a Wilson Blade, a frame known for control rather than raw power. For a guy who generates as much natural pace as Jack, he needs the racquet to tell the ball where to go, not just how fast to fly.
His strings are usually a full bed of polyester, strung quite tight to handle the heavy New York conditions. When the air is humid, the ball flies differently. It gets "heavy." A lot of players struggle to find their rhythm, but Draper’s heavy topspin actually benefits from those conditions. It makes the ball jump off the court, getting above the shoulders of his opponents.
Dealing with the Heat: A Lesson in Sports Science
The vomiting incident sparked a lot of debate about whether the US Open should close the roofs and turn on the AC more often. But Draper didn't blame the weather. He blamed himself. He admitted it was a "psychological" reaction as much as a physical one.
When you're playing for a spot in a Grand Slam final, the adrenaline is astronomical. If you don't manage that, your stomach shuts down. It’s a common thing in high-end endurance sports, but we rarely see it so viscerally on a tennis court. Moving forward, his team—led by coach James Trotman—has been focusing on "thermal regulation." This means everything from ice vests during changeovers to specific electrolyte protocols that start 48 hours before the match.
What’s Next for Draper?
After the US Open, the ranking points he earned catapulted him into the Top 20. That changes his entire 2025 season. He’ll be seeded higher at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, meaning he’ll avoid the heavy hitters until the later rounds.
He’s already shown he can win on grass (taking the title in Stuttgart earlier in the year), but the Jack Draper US Open performance proved he’s a hard-court threat. Most experts, including former British No. 1 Tim Henman, believe Jack's best chance for a Slam title is actually at Wimbledon or New York. The speed of the courts suits his serve-plus-one game perfectly.
The biggest challenge isn't his backhand or his volley. It’s his schedule. To stay in the Top 10, he has to play 20+ tournaments a year. In the past, his body has broken down after three or four consecutive weeks on the road. The 2024 season was the first time we saw him manage a full calendar without a major injury layoff.
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Actionable Takeaways for Following Jack Draper’s Career
If you’re tracking Jack’s progress into the next season, don’t just look at the win-loss column. Watch these specific metrics:
- First Serve Percentage: When Jack is over 65%, he is almost impossible to break. If it dips into the 50s, he struggles because his second serve, while improved, is still vulnerable to aggressive returners like Alcaraz.
- Match Duration: Check how he performs in matches that go over three hours. The US Open showed he can survive them, but he needs to start winning them more comfortably to save energy for the finals.
- Return of Serve: This is the weakest part of his game. He has a tendency to block returns back rather than taking a full swing. If he starts breaking serve more often, he’ll move from "Top 20" to "Top 5" very quickly.
- Surface Consistency: Watch how he transitions to the clay-court season. If he can bring that heavy lefty spin to the dirt, he could be a dark horse for the French Open.
Jack Draper is the real deal. He’s not a flash in the pan or a "one-Slam wonder" in the making. He’s a massive, powerful athlete who is finally learning how to use his tools without breaking them. The 2024 US Open was the prologue; the real story is just starting to be written. Keep an eye on his fitness levels in the early rounds of the upcoming Masters 1000 events—that’s the true litmus test for his longevity.
To stay updated on his progress, follow the official ATP live rankings rather than the weekly updates, as Jack’s position fluctuates wildly based on the points he's defending from his breakout 2024 season. Pay attention to his coaching box during matches; the addition of a dedicated sports psychologist or a specialized nutritionist could be the final piece of the puzzle that turns a semifinalist into a champion.