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Long heralded as the future of British men’s tennis, Draper has enjoyed a breakout season where he has won his first ATP title, become his nation’s leading player and reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
Fittingly, his run to the US Open semi-finals – on a medium-fast hard court which suits his explosive game – came in the first major since Andy Murray retired.
The left-hander from Surrey has taken the baton from former world number one Murray.
However, he was unable to become the first British man to reach a major final since the Scot.
The early part of Draper’s career was littered with fitness issues and building up his body to withstand the rigours of a brutal sport has been the catalyst for his success this year.
Nervous tension, though, has been a factor. Notably, he was sick immediately after securing victory in the Australian Open first round back in January, putting that down to the “psychological stress” of the situation.
If that was a factor on this occasion remains to be seen.
Whatever the issue, Draper showed resilience to continue fighting against the best player in the world, having refused to retire like he had to do earlier in his career.
And once the disappointment settles, he will reflect with huge pride on an encouraging two weeks which indicates there are more exciting times ahead for British tennis fans.
More to follow.
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