How super-fit Draper intimidates Bublik

Yahoo

6 days ago

Jack Draper has beaten Alexander Bublik in both their previous ATP Tour meetings [Getty Images]
French Open 2025
Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app
"Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement."
Alexander Bublik is certainly not the first to take notice. Jack Draper has been turning heads all year.
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The British number one's rise has been impossible to ignore.
Draper has surged up the rankings in the past 12 months after following up a run to the US Open semi-finals last year with a series of impressive results in 2025, including claiming his first ATP Masters title at Indian Wells.
Having progressed to the fourth round at French Open, Bublik is the next to try and stop the soon-to-be world number four.
"Jack, for me, is insane," said Bublik. "I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?
"How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing."
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In 23-year-old Draper, British tennis fans believe they may just have found their next serial Grand Slam contender.
British former world number four Tim Henman told BBC Sport recently that Draper's best attributes - his left-handed serve and crunching forehand - could "work on any surface".
Prior to this year, though, Draper had never won a match at the clay-court major with most of his success coming on hard courts or grass.
However, he has made huge strides on the surface this season and reached his first clay final in Madrid in April.
Managing to avoid the injuries that have plagued him in the past has enabled Draper to reach a significantly higher level of fitness, which has been key to his improvement on the slower surface.
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Now just the world number 62 stands between him and another Grand Slam quarter-final.
And while Draper has enjoyed the best year of his career, Bublik fell from a high of 17th in the rankings in 2024 to as low as 82nd in March.
That prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam.
"My fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising," he said.
"It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come.
"I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn't, and then I got to the point of 'OK, why am I sacrificing so much? For what?'"
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Asked if the trip to Nevada was a training trip, Bublik added: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas.
"It was a good three days. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes."
It worked as Bublik won his next event, the Challenger tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, having arrived from Vegas three hours before his first match. He also triumphed on clay in Turin last month.
The 27-year-old is slowly climbing the rankings again - but Draper will be keen to ensure a first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance has to wait.
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Norrie enjoying tennis again before Djokovic test
Cameron Norrie faces three-time champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the French Open quarter-finals [Getty Images]
For the first time since 1963, two British men have reached the fourth round at Roland Garros.
Cameron Norrie is the other after victory over compatriot Jacob Fearnley set up a last-16 clash with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday.
World number 81 Norrie has struggled through a tough couple of years having risen to as high as eighth in the world in 2022.
But the win over Fearnley means Norrie, 29, has now reached the fourth round at every Slam.
"To make the second week for the first time is so, so good and at a time where I was not really stringing a lot of matches and a lot of wins together," he said.
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"I was able to build from the momentum that I've really struggled to get from the last year and a half, for different reasons.
"I've just been enjoying my tennis, and I think I wanted to do that again. It's another chance to play a really competitive match against one of the best players in the world."