Jack Draper jumped into the top 10 of ATP Rankings for the first time in his career after his impressive win at the Indian Wells Masters, as became the only left-handed player in the list of the game’s top male players.
Yet a curious fact links both Draper and 22-time Grand Slam-winning legend Rafael Nadal as while both of them play tennis left-handed, they are natural right handers, as confirmed by Drapers mother Nicky.
“Believe it or not, he picked up a racket for the first time when he was just one and you could see from a very young age that Jack had incredible hand-eye coordination,” Nicky told the LTA.
“He has always played tennis left-handed. He writes right-handed, he was a right-handed thrower, but he always held a racket with his left hand and while I am often credited with starting Jack in tennis, but it was actually my Mum who was the inspiration.
“She played county tennis for Oxfordshire and Dorset and my brother also played at a good level and represented Great Britain, so tennis was a big part of our family when I had my sons Ben and Jack.
“At the time, I was coaching at Sutton Tennis and Squash Club and Jack used to come down and watch, probably starting when he was two and a half. I had started doing tiny tots sessions for kids who were as young as three and Jack would always join in. He loved other sports as a child, but tennis became a priority very quickly.”
Draper reflects on his early days in tennis fondly, as he admits his move to play left handed has taken away what could have been a big weakness in his game.
“Weirdly enough, my leftiness is a big plus, but I think the fact I’m actually a right-hander, so I think that really helps me,” he said last week.
“My forehand has been improving all the time. My forehand is naturally the shot where, you know, I’m not as comfortable. It’s always been my backhand which has been the shot, like, I can hit with my eyes closed, you know.
“I really have no problem against any player with their forehand into my backhand. Usually, that’s something where players struggle, but with myself, that’s a big strength of mine. So I think the mix of that is a big advantage.”
When aksed to explain why he is right-handed and plays tennis with his left hand prdominently, Draper simply smiles and says: “I’m just a weird guy”.
One noticeable change in Draper over recent weeks and months has been in his dealing with the media and his reactions on court.
Naturally shy, he was often reluctant to open up in front of the media or express his joy and despair on court, as he preferred to bottle up his emotions.
That may have contributed to his physical issues on court, with former Britsh No 1 Tim Henman suggesting his ability to deal with pressure was crucial to moving to the next level.
“For me, Jack’s issues on court have not always been physical by are more mental,” Sky Sports Tennis analyst Henman told Tennis365.
“He hasn’t played too many long five-set matches in the Slams and I spoke to him after Australia last year and he said about the stress and anxiety you feel in those long matches.
“The outcome is always important for a professional athlete, but the process of getting there is just as important. If you do the process right, the outcome should go in your favour.
“I think his performances at this year’s Australia Open were so good for him mentally. He obviously missed some of the off-season, but he came through three five-set matches and that was a step forward.
“Twelve months ago, you see him winning a fairly straightforward five-set match and he is vomiting on the court. That, to me, is 99 per-cent mental.
“He puts in so much work on the practice court and I’ve seen him working so hard in training and in the gym.
“So to come through three five-setters when he was not in the best shape of his life was massive for him.
“That will give him so much belief that he can play the long matches.
“When you first play five-set matches and you lose a tough first set, I promise you it feels like a long way to the winning line.
“You are only a set down, but you still have to win three and wow, it feels like a long way off.
“When you have been through the process a few times, you start to understand how to deal with it mentally and that massively helps the body respond better to the challenge.
“For him to get through to the fourth round in those circumstances was brilliant and I feel he is only just scratching the surface in his career.
“He’s not had a full season and has always had setbacks, but the way he is training the team he has around him, that won’t happen as much.”
Draper’s is finding a way to balance his mental and physical challenges on court and the results were there for all to see as he won his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells and confirmed his status as a top 10 player who is here to stay.
