- Jack Draper is ‘confident’ he can fill Andy Murray’s shoes ahead of Wimbledon
- Murray reminded Draper to follow his own path and handle pressure his own way
- WIN WIMBLEDON TICKETS in exclusive M+ competition with Emirates
It was before the US Open last year that Jack Draper said he would not miss the presence of Andy Murray’s ‘stinky shoes’ in the locker room. Nine months on and the No 4 seed is talking about stepping into those shoes as the face of Wimbledon, the man who will carry with him the hearts and hopes of millions every time he steps on to Centre Court.
‘When Andy retired they said I was next in line,’ said Draper, who was 27th in the world when Murray called it quits. ‘I didn’t really think about it then but I have improved so much and put myself in this position.
‘Andy has been incredibly successful and has become adored by the nation. They are obviously big shoes to fill, I’m aware of that. At the same time I’m confident in myself that I can inspire people like Andy has done.
‘I’ll try to show my best tennis out there and hopefully present myself as the player and the person I want to be.’
So far the 23-year-old Draper has carried the steeply increasing weight of expectation easily on his muscle-bound shoulders. But that pressure has always been deflated by the fact that he is yet to reach beyond the second round here. And, even in his dotage, Murray acted as a lightning rod for attention. Not so now: in the first Wimbledon following Murray’s retirement, Draper has nowhere to hide as the No 4 seed.
‘You guys have asked me a lot about the pressure and all that sort of stuff. I’m not thinking about that at all,’ he said. ‘I’m thinking about how I can play my tennis out there. The crowd is going to really be behind me and support me and want me to drive forward in the tournament.
Jack Draper insisted he can fill Andy Murray’s shoes and become Britain’s new Wimbledon star
Murray – a two-time champion at the All England Club – has been a source of advice for Draper
Draper comes into Wimbledon as the No 4 seed, a huge leap from being ranked 27th in the world when Murray retired last summer
‘That can be a huge source of energy and gives me a huge source of motivation to want to keep on trying to find my level and beat these guys. I feel good. That’s the only thing I can say.’
Murray has kept a deliberately low profile this Wimbledon season. His most notable involvement on the grass, we discovered yesterday, was beating two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz at golf, as the Spaniard relaxed after winning the title at Queen’s Club.
A two-time champion here, Murray is especially reluctant to comment on Draper’s chances or his game. The 38-year-old knows from experience how distracting it can be when such comments are fed back to Draper through us media types.
‘Andy has given me amazing feedback and advice over the years,’ said Draper. ‘One of the biggest things is everyone is on their different journey. Everyone deals with things differently.
‘He doesn’t like to interfere. I think he’s very reluctant to comment on anything to do with me because he understands what it’s like to be in this position. I know Andy’s right there for me if I need him any time. There may come a point where I ask him a few things and I’m sure he will come back and be extremely helpful and supportive as always.’
Away from the court, simplicity and mundanity will be Draper’s watchwords.
‘When I’m here I’m completely dialled in but when I get away from it I try and detach myself and have the most energy to perform again the next day,’ he said.
‘Tennis is a recovery sport. So I go home, I watch a bit of TV. Recently I watched MobLand on Paramount+. Very good. Tom Hardy, I like him.’
In his last outing, the 23-year-old was defeated by Jiri Lehecka in the semi-finals at Queen’s
Draper has a trusted team around him but in the intensity of this environment the most important asset could be Ann Coxhead, a registered osteopath and breathing coach with whom he has worked to control his anxiety and manage the bristling intensity with which he plays his tennis.
‘It’s a bit like having a physio or a strength and conditioning coach,’ Draper said. ‘It was important for me in tennis where there’s such small margins, where such small percentages are involved.
‘She has a long career in breathing, expertise in different sports. She said she thought she could help me on the court and the work I’ve done with her has been invaluable.
‘It’s been a real asset. I’m still a work in progress with it but it has definitely helped my physicality and my general well-being on the court. I look forward to continuing the work with her.’
