Jack Draper found himself in the spotlight after a match against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, but it wasn't the type of attention he enjoys.
Draper admitted earlier this year that he does enjoy the spotlight and is not opposed to it. He models on occasion and doesn't mind being in front of the camera, but his most recent experience showed him another side of that.
He found himself in the prime spotlight, but not in the way he likes it. It came after a match against Auger-Aliassime at the Cincinnati Open. It was a proper battle between them that went the distance; however, the ending was shocking and very controversial.
It ended with a judgment call by the umpire, Greg Allensworth, who ruled an illegal shot by Draper as a good one. Many tennis fans were stunned by what had happened, even though Draper maintained that he wasn't sure what had happened.
Many, including ATP player Nick Kyrgios, later pointed out that the Brit likely knew what had happened but kept his mouth shut because it won him the match. It was tough to read for Draper, who was shocked that people accused him of unsportsmanlike conduct.
He prides himself on being a fair player, so it was tough to swallow. It took him a couple of days to really process, but ultimately, he was glad about the experience.
Having reset for the US Open made Draper realize that it was a valuable experience. He could successfully block and focus on what matters: his tennis and the US Open.
"It was just a new experience for myself. I’ve never been in that situation before, where suddenly you’re getting criticism from people. It’s all good and well when you’re not playing well, and getting ‘You’re terrible at tennis’ online."
"But when you’re getting comments about cheating and lying, that’s difficult. It definitely plays on your mind. It was a good experience to have those emotions and those feelings, and have to block it out and focus on what’s important."
Resetting from negative experiences is hugely important in tennis because it's a sport that never stops. Players can't stop and linger on things that happened in the past but have to focus on the future.
The week in Cincinnati was stressful, and Draper found himself in the middle of it. It took him a few days to recover physically and get his mindset right for competing in New York. With how he's played so far, it's clear he's managed to do that.
"Obviously, it was a bit of a storm last week. I played three tough matches there, and then in the match against Holger, I wasn't all there. I was not only physically tired, but mentally sort of bamboozled by the night before."
"Definitely took a few days to physically recover from that week, and mentally and emotionally and all those things. In the last couple of days, I feel like I’ve freshened up and my mindset’s on competing here."
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