Jack Draper moves on from ‘looking like a Ferrari that broke down like a Toyota'
The British number one almost blew a gasket when he dropped the opening set to tricky Australian world number 21 Alexei Popyrin.
But despite feeling under the weather, he gathered himself to level the match and then went through the gears in a deciding set tie-break to win a gruelling contest 3-6 6-2 7-6 (5) in two hours and 13 minutes.
In years gone by such a test of endurance in the blazing heat of west London would have been too much for Draper, but now there is a lot more reliability under the chassis.
'I have always worked really hard off the court,' he said. 'I think that's helped me play more consistently on the tour. I have felt better and better every grand slam I have played.
'You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like broke down quite easy.
'Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself.'
If Draper breaks new ground and reaches the last four in west London, he will be seeded fourth at Wimbledon, ensuring he would avoid defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals.
Alexei Popyrin proved a tricky opponent (Ben Whitley/PA)
'It's obviously a big thing. I think it would definitely help,' he added. 'But at the same time, I don't think I will think about that at all.
'Anything that I have sort of done in tennis, or achieved, I have never really thought about it. I've just kept on going.
'I focus on what's important to me, what I can control. I can't control if I go out there on Friday and play a great match.
'I'll give myself the best opportunity to hopefully do that. And of course if I'm in that position, you know, it helps going to Wimbledon.
'To be honest, I don't think I have been that great. I think I have competed really hard. I think my serve's been pretty good.
'But the tennis I know I can play and the tennis that's got me to the position I'm in, I think there is still a lot of improvement to come.
'My goal is to peak at Wimbledon, you know. I'm going to give myself a chance each day to get better.'
There is to be no quarter-final battle of Britain at Queen's after Dan Evans bowed out.
The 35-year-old, who caused the shock of the first round by beating seventh seed Frances Tiafoe, was narrowly beaten 7-5 7-6 (4) by another American, Brandon Nakashima.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool told to make swap deal as 'concrete interest' emerges in next transfer
Florian Wirtz is set to be Liverpool's next signing but the Reds' business is not done as Arne Slot engages in a busier summer overhaul of the club than 12 months ago The transfer window is open once again and Liverpool are whirring away to continue a busy start to the summer. Already the Reds have added Jeremie Frimpong and said goodbye to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher and there's more to be done. Florian Wirtz is set to be next through the door with a medical to complete on Friday. The German international will join in a British record deal. Milos Kerkez could soon follow from Brighton as Arne Slot looks to boost his resources. That could see Andy Robertson consider an exit however as he enters the final year of his deal. Slot will hope to tie up the deals quickly after the Premier League fixtures were released. The Dutchman will hope to have a full squad at his disposal in time for facing Bournemouth on the opening weekend. Mirror Football takes a look at some of the latest news and transfer rumours from around Anfield. Ekitike interest Liverpool have a 'concrete interest' in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, according to reports. The Reds will look to sign the young French star, particularly if they can offload Darwin Nunez. The Uruguay internaitonal is said to have drawn attention from Napoli, who are believed to be in contact with the player's camp. Liverpool are hoping to find a solution and his exit could spark a move for Chelsea target Ekitike. Alavarez swap deal Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann reckons Liverpool should use Darwin Nunez as part of a deal to sign Atletico Madrid ace Julian Alvarez. The Spanish side already appear to have poured cold water on an exit for the former Manchester City forward but the ex-Germany international believes the Reds could prove persuasive. Hamann has told "I'd love to see Julian Alvarez at Liverpool and I think Darwin Nunez being part of the deal would make a lot of sense. I think Nunez is tailor made for Atletico Madrid as a physical centre forward, someone who will work so hard which is what Diego Simeone wants. "Alvarez would also be a fantastic addition at Liverpool, he played in the shadow of Erling Haaland at Manchester City but really added to his reputation in Madrid. He led the line, scored goals and made life a nuisance for the back lines he played against, I think he would be a brilliant signing. Wirtz's parents earn fee Liverpool are set to pay £8.55million to Florian Wirtz's parent s as they move towards confirming the megamoney signing.. The German international is expected to soon complete a transfer to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen. With a medical expected to take place on Friday, Wirtz will not be the only member of his family to benefit. The Leverkusen talisman is represented by his parents rather than an agency. Wirtz's parents Hans and Karin joined him when he travelled to England last month, and negotiated on his behalf. Sport Bild, per Sport Witness, claim they will see €10m (£8.55m) over the course of their son's contract with Liverpool. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Leader Live
4 hours ago
- Leader Live
Chris Wilder leaves Sheffield United after promotion near miss
The 57-year-old, who guided his hometown club from League One to the top flight at the end of the 2018-19 season, leaves Bramall Lane for a second time after failing to lead the Blades to the Premier League last season. Wilder returned to the Blades in December 2023 after Paul Heckingbottom was sacked with the club bottom of the Premier League. 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 – 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 Sheffield United can confirm a mutually agreed decision has been reached for manager Chris Wilder to leave the football club. Chris will leave alongside coaches Alan Knill and Matt Prestridge, and in doing so depart with the… — Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) June 18, 2025 A club statement said: 'Sheffield United can confirm a mutually agreed decision has been reached for manager Chris Wilder to leave the football club. 'Chris will leave alongside coaches Alan Knill and Matt Prestridge, and in doing so depart with the best wishes and gratitude of everyone connected with Sheffield United. 'A Blade through and through, the legacy Chris and his staff have created here will never be forgotten, going right back to 2016 when he initially took the job with the club rooted in League One. 'Between 2016 and 2021, he guided the club to two promotions and a ninth-place finish in the Premier League, creating an era which will go down as one of the most fondly remembered in the club's history.' The statement added: 'After returning to the club during a difficult period in 2023, he has provided stability and created a new team which earned a Steel City derby double amongst other notable highlights last season. 'Showing his calibre as a manager, he guided the club to (a) third-place finish, collecting 92 points, before a heartbreaking conclusion in the play-off final. 'Our owners, COH Sports, would wish to place on record our thanks to Chris and his staff for their efforts whilst at the helm and will be extending their own appreciation in due course.' Under Wilder, the South Yorkshire club finished third behind Leeds and Burnley and were beaten by Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley despite taking the lead. That came as a huge disappointment, with United having been heavily involved in the race for automatic promotion before winning just two of their final seven regular-season games to slip 10 points off the pace. Former Blades defender Wilder made 126 appearances for the club in two spells during a playing career which also involved stints with Southampton, Rotherham, Notts County, Bradford, Brighton and Halifax. American-based consortium COH Sports, who completed a takeover in December last year, had handed Wilder a new contract until the end of the 2027-28 season in January.
Rhyl Journal
4 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Jack Draper moves on from ‘looking like a Ferrari that broke down like a Toyota'
The British number one almost blew a gasket when he dropped the opening set to tricky Australian world number 21 Alexei Popyrin. But despite feeling under the weather, he gathered himself to level the match and then went through the gears in a deciding set tie-break to win a gruelling contest 3-6 6-2 7-6 (5) in two hours and 13 minutes. In years gone by such a test of endurance in the blazing heat of west London would have been too much for Draper, but now there is a lot more reliability under the chassis. 😤 Tough @jackdraper0 — LTA (@the_LTA) June 18, 2025 'I have always worked really hard off the court,' he said. 'I think that's helped me play more consistently on the tour. I have felt better and better every grand slam I have played. 'You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like broke down quite easy. 'Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself.' If Draper breaks new ground and reaches the last four in west London, he will be seeded fourth at Wimbledon, ensuring he would avoid defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals. 'It's obviously a big thing. I think it would definitely help,' he added. 'But at the same time, I don't think I will think about that at all. 'Anything that I have sort of done in tennis, or achieved, I have never really thought about it. I've just kept on going. 'I focus on what's important to me, what I can control. I can't control if I go out there on Friday and play a great match. YESSSSSSS!!!!!!! @jackdraper0 🗣️ Fighting back to reach the quarters at @QueensTennis ❤️🔥#HSBCChampionships — LTA (@the_LTA) June 18, 2025 'I'll give myself the best opportunity to hopefully do that. And of course if I'm in that position, you know, it helps going to Wimbledon. 'To be honest, I don't think I have been that great. I think I have competed really hard. I think my serve's been pretty good. 'But the tennis I know I can play and the tennis that's got me to the position I'm in, I think there is still a lot of improvement to come. 'My goal is to peak at Wimbledon, you know. I'm going to give myself a chance each day to get better.' There is to be no quarter-final battle of Britain at Queen's after Dan Evans bowed out. The 35-year-old, who caused the shock of the first round by beating seventh seed Frances Tiafoe, was narrowly beaten 7-5 7-6 (4) by another American, Brandon Nakashima.
