By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday May 14, 2025
With 19 matches under his belt since the start of March, including his first Masters title at Indian Wells and his first Masters final on clay at Madrid, it makes sense that fatigue would be a part of the equation for Jack Draper at this stage of the spring.
It would be… normal. But Draper doesn’t want to be normal, so no excuses there. After his 6-4, 6-4 loss to Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday at the Foro Italico in Rome, Draper talked about his emotions as he reflected on what he called a disappointing performance.
“I'm very disappointed with the way I performed in a way,” the 23-year-old Brit told the media, adding: “I think from a mental and emotional point of view, obviously you could say, That's normal, you had a tough four weeks now.
“I don't want to be normal. I want to be right up there. It hurts a lot, this kind of loss.
"But like I said, Carlos played a really good match and he was the better player. I have to accept that, go back to the drawing board, really prepare well for the French Open, know that I'm hopefully going to have many more chances against these great players.”
That has to be music to James Trotman’s ears. Draper’s coach has the luxury of working with one of the fastest rising players on the ATP Tour – the Brit made his Top 5 debut on May 5 – and, even better, the kid does not want to stop climbing.
What’s not to like?
Draper wore the fatigue all week at Rome, so maybe today’s loss will be a blessing, even if he doesn’t see it that way. Draper’s forehand speed dropped significantly after the first six games of his clash with the Spaniard, from 75 MPH to 71 MPH, and his spin rate dropped right along with it.
Draper eventually picked up the pace as he recovered a break in the second set and pushed Alcaraz to 4-all, but he didn’t have the forceful tennis to push through as Alcaraz captured 10 of the final 11 points to win going away.
“I've been playing the last four weeks now pretty much,” Draper admitted. “I don't want to think about it or admit it, but probably it has a big effect I think on not just today but throughout the week. I've been struggling a little bit to maintain my quality all throughout the matches.
"Today against someone like that, you can't have those dips in your standards because you get punished.”
There’s still so much to like about the way Draper’s clay-court game has progressed this year. He was 11-13 on the surface prior to the start of the clay season, and he’s won nine of 12 matches.
“I'm really proud of the way I've approached the clay season, especially so far,” Draper said. “Obviously good results. Hard to keep on going. But I know that if I want to be a top, top player, I have to be consistent week in, week out.”
After some rest, Draper will head to Paris to make his third career appearance at Roland-Garros, where he has never picked up a win. Expect that stat to change by the end of May, and don’t be surprised if the ever evolving southpaw is still standing when the second week begins.