Jack Draper’s coach admits they’ve ‘studied’ Rafael Nadal’s tactics after Brit dismisses comparison
Jack Draper reached his career's second Masters 1000 final after beating Lorenzo Musetti in the Madrid Open semifinals.
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Rafael Nadal, Jack Draper (Image via X/Nadalprop_, Jack Draper Fans)
Jack Draper recently dismissed comparisons to Rafael Nadal, acknowledging that despite being a fellow left-hander, he has a long way to go to reach Nadal’s level. However, that does not mean that Draper has to shy away from learning from the King of Clay. His coach James Trotman revealed they’ve studied Nadal’s matches to sharpen key aspects of Draper’s game.
Draper lost the only match he played against the 22-time Grand Slam champion in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open. Nadal has called time on his career at the Davis Cup last year.
And while Nadal retired after lifting 63 clay-court singles titles, Draper is bidding to win his first singles title on the red dirt in the ongoing Madrid Open. Like Nadal, Draper too has made the forehand one of his huge weapons.
Certainly, when it comes to what Nadal does on serve returns and certain game patterns, it’s something we’ve studied and looked at. He’s the king of clay, so it would be silly not to look at him with Jack being left-handed.
James Trotman told Sky Sports
After ending Lorenzo Musetti‘s campaign in the Madrid Open semifinals, the Brit has scheduled a match against one of the best clay-court players on the tour. He is set to lock horns with three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud for the first time in his career.
The two-time French Open finalist, who went past Francisco Cerundolo in the semifinals, is chasing his first Masters 1000 title of his career after being unsuccessful in his previous three appearances in the finals. The Norwegian will be playing his second final of the season, following the Dallas Open, which he lost to Denis Shapovalov.
He has not yet won a title since lifting the Geneva Open last year. Prior to Madrid, the 26-year-old, in the Masters 1000 category, had reached the finals of the 2022 Miami Open and the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters. If he wins, Ruud will become the first Norwegian player in a Masters 1000 tournament since 1990.
Jack Draper feels he has become a more versatile tennis player
Jack Draper was more of a counterpuncher when he was a newcomer on the ATP Tour. But last year, despite winning the Stuttgart Open, the Vienna Open, and reaching the final of the Adelaide International, Draper “went through a little crisis“.
He tried changing his game to add more variations, but it did not work. But now, after Lorenzo Musetti praised his defensive abilities, Draper, who has started to become aggressive, said he wants to do everything on the court and that’s so far worked for him.
The most important thing was that I could learn to be defensive and do everything I used to do, but also attack when I should attack. I think I have a much better balance now.
Jack Draper said at the press conference
Draper is chasing his second trophy of the season after lifting his career’s first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells. Apart from the Madrid Open and Indian Wells, Draper has also progressed to the final of the Qatar Open, which he lost to Andrey Rublev.
Win or no win in the final, Draper will reach a career-high ranking of No.5 on Monday. He will surpass 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic who lost in his opening round, registering his third consecutive defeat this season for the second time.
If Draper wins the title, he will become the third man born in the 2000s after World No.1 Jannik Sinner and World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz to lift singles titles on hard, grass, and clay. Draper is also second in the ATP Live Race to Turin list.
Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz’s ex-coach weighs in on the evolution of the Spaniard since his early years
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