Jack Draper’s coach has stated that the Brit believes that he ‘belongs’ at the highest level of tennis, competing against the ‘best players, on the biggest stage.’
The world No 14 defeated Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5 in his quarter-final match, continuing his impressive form in 2025 – just two weeks after making the Doha final.
Draper’s coach James Trotman – who the player has previously called a ‘one of a kind’ – has given his insight into the various improvements made to the Brit’s game.
Whilst speaking to Tim Henman for Sky Sports, Trotman stated:
“I think a lot of hard work has gone on in those years [since their partnership started], a lot of game development which we are always focusing on.
“I think he has started to believe a lot more in himself, he feels like he belongs at this level and can perform with the best players, on the biggest stage.
“It’s been a fantastic start to 2025, but there have been limited tournaments, still. He picked up a little niggle in the off-season and had a great run down in Australia – considering the lack of tennis he had – final in Doha, and again in the semis here.
“So, when he’s performing, he’s been performing well, but it would be nice to get a few more tournaments under the belt and I think the bigger picture stuff, we’re going to keep working on his body, keep making the right decisions around what he needs at the time.
Trotman – who is a former junior Grand Slam champion – first started working regularly with Draper in late-2021 when he was the LTA’s men’s National Coach, with the Brit ranked outside of the world’s top 250.
Speaking about his first impressions of the current world No 14, Trotman stated: “I remember watching him on a trip to Spain in those early days. He was unbelievably competitive, but he was up and down emotionally and also on the court. It was like an emotional roller-coaster watching him compete.”
The Indian Wells semi-finalist will compete against world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who has lifted the event’s trophy at the last two editions and has won 32 of his last 34 sets at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
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“Look, he’s going to have to serve well, there’s no doubt about it,” Trotman stated, about his player’s last four encounter against Alcaraz.
“If Jack’s serve is firing, it’s a weapon against anybody in the world, and, if he can build pressure through that, it’s going to help his chances and help him relax, let him play a little bit more aggressively.
“Certainly against Carlos [Alcaraz], he’s not the sort of player where you want to drop your ball speed too much and allow him to dictate and get his physicality onto court.”
The two players have met on four occasions, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head 3-1. Draper did manage to get a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory against the four-time Grand Slam champion at the ATP 500 in London in 2024 – albeit on grass
Their most recent clash occurred at the 2025 Australian Open, with the Brit retiring after going down two-sets-to-love due to hip discomfort.
The post Former Grand Slam champion on Jack Draper: ‘Feels like he belongs at this level’ appeared first on Tennis365.
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