Over the past seven months as he established himself at the top levels of professional tennis, Jack Draper has stood across the net from many of the best players in the world, testing his strengths and learning how his game matches up against them. He has beaten plenty, enough to know how potent and special his game can be, but with every step of his journey he has also been followed by unwanted physical issues.
On one of the biggest stages of his career, Draper fought hard but more physical problems came to the fore as he suffered from cramp against a vulnerable Rafael Nadal. Despite his own glaring form and confidence issues, Nadal emerged from a tense, scrappy match with his first win of the 2023 season, outlasting Draper 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Australian Open.
“If we put in perspective all the situation that I went through the last six months, I think it have been a very positive start,” said Nadal, the defending champion. “I played against one of the toughest opponents possible being seeded. He’s young, he has the power and I think he has a very good future in front. I think we will see him playing here for many years.”
There is no experience in professional tennis like staring down Nadal for the first time, from the aura that he commands even before he enters the court to the uniqueness of his heavy lefty-topspin. Draper dealt with the mental challenge well, serving at an exceptional level for much of the opening set. But in the first moment of true pressure, serving down 5-6 in the set, Nadal separated himself, unloading on his forehand. On set point Draper played a poor drop shot, which Nadal swept forward to put away.
Nadal had arrived at the Australian Open without a win in his first two matches of the season despite winning the first set both times. His inability to consolidate his form continued as his game unraveled early in the second set. He sprayed unforced errors and his body language slumped as he quickly trailed 0-4. Meanwhile, Draper took care of his service games and played smart, attacking tennis. After Draper closed out the set, Nadal jogged towards his player box and engaged in a furious discussion with his team.
But just as Draper established himself in the match, his body betrayed him. Not for the first time in his career, he began to cramp early in the third set. He shook out his leg between points, roared in frustration and, after double faulting away a break, eventually called out a trainer during the change of ends. Such is Nadal’s low confidence and form, he briefly allowed Draper back into the set with a poor service game before finally closing it out.
Things only became more difficult for Draper as the match endured and at 2-2, 40-40, a brutal 22-stroke rally took all his remaining energy. Draper did not even attempt to chase down Nadal’s forehand winner and, from that point until the end, he could only roll 75 miles per hour serves into the court.
“Early on in the third set, after I felt like I was gaining a bit of momentum, just started getting cramp,” Draper said. “It’s not something I’ve not experienced before. I feel like I just need to investigate why I’m getting it, but also know that I’ve only just started really with my fitness trainer that I’ve invested in. It’s going to be a work in progress, the cramp.”
Draper’s performance and the manner of his defeat further underlined that his tennis continues to improve and he can trade with the best players in the world, but his body remains the most pressing issue in his young career. After retiring from the third round of the US Open last year Draper hired Dejan Vojnovic, a former Olympic sprinter, as his fitness coach, but their work together was not helped by him suffering from two viruses during the off-season. The clear goal is to ensure that one day his physicality will come to match his ability.
“I think I can take away the fact that my tennis is getting closer and closer,” said Draper. “And physically I’ll be first to say I’m still a work in progress.”
Meanwhile the British No 1, Cameron Norrie, continued his solid start to the season by moving into the second round with a 7-6(3), 6-0, 6-3 win over 18-year-old Frenchman Luca van Assche.
Despite arriving in Melbourne late after losing the Auckland final to Richard Gasquet on Saturday, Norrie quickly adjusted to the new conditions against one of the most highly-regarded young players. “He came out strong, came out firing and it was a pretty quick turnaround coming from Auckland last week,” said Norrie. “I was pretty nervous, I didn’t know what to expect from him. I managed to relax in the second set and close it out.”
Earlier on Monday, Kyle Edmund was comfortably defeated 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 by Jannik Sinner, the 15th seed, as he continues to return to the tour after knee surgery. Edmund, who is ranked 581 and entered the Australian Open with a protected ranking, will now have to drop down to lower tournaments in order to rebuild his ranking.