Jack Draper Reveals Battle With Tonsillitis After Angry Loss At Queen's Club
NewsMonday, 23 June 2025 at 17:00
Jack Draper's preparation for Wimbledon didn't end ideally, and that's not only because of his loss, but also because of health struggles.
Draper will be one of the dark horses at this year's Wimbledon. He will be the fourth seed and will certainly belong to the second group of the favorites, just behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic.
The Brit had a chance to prove his grass-court qualities at the Queen's Club Championships, but his journey at the event in London wasn't as smooth as some of the fans would have imagined.
Draper started by beating Jenson Brooksby, and he then beat Alexei Popyrin and Brandon Nakashima, losing a set to both. Eventually, the World No. 4 player was beaten in the semi-finals by Jiri Lehecka.
It was an incredibly close match, with the Czech player winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Late in the match, Draper was clearly frustrated by not being able to get over the line, and he vented that frustration on one of the advertising boards.
After his loss, the 23-year-old spoke about that moment, explaining that he wasn't happy about how he behaved when his frustration boiled over.
"A bit of everything, really. The way I sort of playing at times. Obviously the fact that, you know, I have worked so hard to get myself in that position. You know, I really tried to get myself up, get the energy going."
"When you see that ball go past you on that point, it's very tough to see yourself breaking the next game, although I tried my best on that. I don't condone obviously that behavior, but at the same time, that's kind of where I was at today. I was trying to use everything I could. I tried to compete every ball. But in the end, anger just spilled over a little bit too much."
In his press conference, Draper also spoke about his physical condition. The Brit admitted that he wasn't 100% healthy, as he has struggled with tonsillitis, which might impact his preparations for Wimbledon.
"Just some phlegm. Been battling some... got tonsillitis. I haven't felt good all week. I tried my best out there to get myself up for the matches and compete my hardest. I think part of that is my ups and downs in the matches."
"I have been sort of trying to get myself up for each point. When you're in that state, especially on the grass court against these guys who are serving and playing like that, a couple of loose points here and there, you know you're in big trouble."
"I'm proud of the way I went about things, considering, you know, but it's tough, because you're in a position where you're in a professional sport. You're an entertainer, an athlete, and you have no choice. No one cares, you know. So you've just got to go out there and do the best you can. I'm proud of that. I gave myself a chance."
Draper will want to overcome this setback and do well at the upcoming Wimbledon. As a home player, he will be one of the players backed by the crowd in London.
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