Draper puts health first in his bid to break the top 10

Brit No 1 managing hip problem ahead of Australian Open

- KIERAN JACKSON

Rewind 12 months, and the overriding memory of Jack Draper’s time down under was not one for the squeamish. In the first round, the Brit defeated Marcos Giron in three hours and 20 minutes for his first five-set victory. But there was no time for rapturous celebration – and barely any time for a handshake at the net.

Draper quickly ran to a courtside bin to vomit, amid 30C temperatures in the Melbourne sun. Earlier in the match, his pulse and blood pressure were taken before he admirably recovered from a deficit on the scoreboard. It would not be his first conditioning issue of 2024: Draper was sick on the court during his US Open semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner in September as well.

And heading into 2025, doubts over Draper’s health linger as he takes on Andy Murray’s mantle as the country’s leading men’s tennis player. That’s Andy Murray: Novak Djokovic’s new coach.

Draper, 23, withdrew from last week’s United Cup and has already confirmed he won’t participate in Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie in Japan at the end of the month. This time, a hip injury is the issue; an issue which forced him to cancel plans to train with four-time grand slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in the offseason.

Draper intends to take to the court as the Australian Open begins this Sunday. However, ambitions of another deep hardcourt run into the second week – following his impressive journey to the semis in New York last year – are somewhat open to question.