Jack Draper is seen by many as the natural successor to Andy Murray, as Britain’s best hope of long-term success on the tennis front.
After all, he has already proven his penchant for thriving on the big stage, as a Grand Slam semi-finalist and Masters 1000 champion too.
Sadly, injuries have consistently marred his attempts at consistent progression, thus making his career so far somewhat inconsistent. He has still achieved great things, but he has the physical and technical skillset to be one of the best in the world.
A hulking figure with a thunderous serve and awkward left-handed game, he could be forgiven for resting on his laurels after his 2025 campaign.
However, he continues to seek counsel where possible, and has now revealed one piece of advice that Murray once gave him.
The advice Andy Murray once gave to Jack Draper
Appearing on the LTA’s website, the Brit was actually answering questions from kids.
However, the answers he gave were still insightful and useful for those looking to improve their games.
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Asked about the awkwardness of facing a left-handed player, despite being one himself, Jack Draper admitted: “I don’t like playing lefties either, I’ve got to be honest. It’s a strange dynamic when you’re used to playing against right-handed players.”
He then shared the tip that Andy Murray once gave him, continuing: “I’d say one good tip when playing a lefty, and I learnt this from Andy Murray, is that the thing you struggle the most with against lefties is on your return.
“So, if you’re on the deuce side you might start your position more in to the centre line so you give them less angle with their slider serves.
“Psychologically you might feel that you’ve left the other side of the box open but you’re forcing them to hit a flat serve, which a lefty doesn’t naturally want to do.”
Just last week, Draper outlined the shot that he felt needed improving most, further highlighting his desire to keep improving despite a standout year.
Jack Draper set to make return to tennis
Having rushed himself back to action after missing the entire summer of tennis after Wimbledon, Draper was then forced to shut down the rest of his season.
Few can blame him for pining for a place at the US Open, but in reality, featuring in the mixed doubles and the first round of the singles draw likely didn’t aid his recovery at all.
As such, he forfeited many prestigious events, including what would have been his maiden ATP Finals, in order to rest.
Now, he seems ready and raring to play again, with Draper revealing why he will be returning to tennis at the UTS Grand Finals when speaking earlier this month.
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He then told Sky Sports: “I think I came back a bit too soon when I played the US Open so after that I decided to really shut it down and look after it. And now I’m building up my confidence and building up my tennis to be at full throttle again.
“It’s a chance to compete, also a chance to play the world’s best players again. I think when you have time out the game, it’s really important to sort of get on their speed again.”
It will be interesting to see where his game stands up against some of the sport’s biggest names after such a lengthy period sidelined.
