Jack Draper recently said that he was "really motivated" by Carlos Alcaraz's Wimbledon success last summer and is determined to become "one of the best players" in the world.
Draper watched last year's Wimbledon from his home as 20-year-old Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic's reign at the All England Club in an epic five-set final. The Spaniard wrote his name in the history books as the youngest men's champion there since Boris Becker in 1985.
For Draper, witnessing that moment was bittersweet because his body did not let him compete on the grandest stage. A shoulder injury forced him out of the entire grass-court swing.
"It was really difficult. I obviously didn’t just miss this one. I missed Queen’s, the whole grass. I think I sat on my couch for most of it, just kind of really frustrated, watching all the matches."
But at the same time, Alcaraz's victory made Draper realize that his potential is uncapped and that age is not a barrier to success. He, too, was capable of lifting the Wimbledon title, and the injury hiatus helped strengthen his mental strength.
"I watched the (Liam) Broady-(Casper) Ruud match, which was amazing to see Broads doing well. I watched the full final, which was hard to watch obviously someone so young winning the title, showing what he’s capable of."
"It really, really motivated me and was actually I think a blessing in disguise because my body wasn’t ready. I don’t think mentally I was ready either to be a top player. It was a good break that I needed to rediscover the fire I needed. From there, I’ve been great."
And the 22-year-old from Sutton has every reason to believe he can challenge for the crown as a dark horse 12 months on. Draper became the new British No. 1 this summer after a breakthrough grass-court campaign yielded a maiden ATP title in Stuttgart and a career-best win over Alcaraz at Queen's.
Draper is looking to use this purple patch as a springboard to greater success in the coming months, starting with Wimbledon, then the Olympic Games, and then the summer hard-court swing in North America.
"I’ve come a long way in a year and I’m very proud of that. I just want to keep going. I’m excited to see after Wimbledon, as well, leading into the Olympics, the hard courts, that’s when we’ll really see where my tennis is at. The grass, you do get away with certain things."
"If my game keeps on improving, I keep the mindset, and keep on improving physically like I have been, I don’t see there’s any reason why I can’t be one of the best players in the world. That’s my aspiration, that’s my goal."