As Jack Draper crumpled into a chair and covered his face after an afternoon of high-octane, quality tennis concluded in disappointment in the opening stanza of Great Britain’s 2-0 defeat to Serbia, his despair was clear for all to see. With Novak Djokovic looming in the second rubber of their Davis Cup quarter-final tie, practically every spectator in Málaga’s sold-out José María Martín Carpena Arena was aware how essential the first was.
After two bitter tiebreaks, the match had escaped him. But Draper had not taken many wrong steps on the court. He had fought tooth and nail to remain in the opening set before his level dipped in the tiebreak, then he rose again until the end of a second set that boiled down to a couple of points.
While the 21-year-old had played fairly well, Miomir Kecmanovic was spectacular. Another talented player waiting for his breakthrough, he had seized the moment, produced one of his best performances of the year and deservedly took the win.
Sometimes, the opponent is just too good. The experience remains an important part of Draper’s learning curve, a key step in his personal growth and in the not too distant future, when he is likely to be the figurehead for the British Davis Cup team. In his press conference afterwards, it was impressive to see Draper recognise the positive aspects of his defeat in spite of his frustration: “Obviously I’m focused on the match, but it’s an invaluable experience for me at a young age,” he said.
After the year Draper has endured, the fact he was able to be present and healthy to be part of Britain’s Davis Cup bid was a success in itself. Last season featured numerous injury setbacks but Draper made clear progress, establishing himself at a career-high ranking of 42 and positioning himself to rise up into the top 30 and beyond.
He had started this season in similar form, reaching the semi-finals in Adelaide and then facing off against Rafael Nadal in a tough four-set match in the opening round of the Australian Open. From there, the wheels came off as his body let him down time and time again. Hip, abdominal and shoulder injuries kept him away from the court, including a miserable withdrawal from Wimbledon. By September, he was ranked 123 in the world and was back to grinding away at ATP Challenger tournaments as quickly as he had left them behind.
“Since I got injured with my shoulder in May, I was kind of staring down the barrel a bit, hadn’t played all year. It seemed like my ranking was just dropping all the time. When I finally got back to playing, I was ranked 130. It was a real tough challenge to get back with the Challengers and mentally have to deal with that real drop,” he says.
Following his return just before the US Open, Draper has been able to quickly return to form. A career-best fourth round run in New York, an ATP Challenger title and a first ATP final only a few weeks ago in Sofia have combined to halve his ranking since September to world No 60.
The experience from this latest loss ensures he will head into the off-season with positive sentiments as he tries to move further up the rankings. As always, ensuring that his body is robust enough to handle the rigours of the tour will be an essential goal in the five weeks before next season kicks off. If he can, there will be much more to come.
While Cameron Norrie was dismissed in straight sets by Djokovic on Thursday, he was satisfied by his performance and fight against the best player in the world. He prepared for the Davis Cup finals by unusually taking a break and withdrawing from the Paris Masters.
Along with a minor knee injury, it seems clear that after two improbable, life-changing years led to Norrie establishing himself as a top 20 player, his heavy schedule finally caught up with him. Since Wimbledon, Norrie has looked worn out, compiling a grim 4-12 record.
With more rest and training in the off-season, Norrie’s aim will be to make sure he is physically and mentally ready to return to his best at the beginning of the new season. More than two years mixing it with the elite has been impressive enough, but he wants more.
