At the Challenger event in Bergamo last October, Draper had just crept into the world’s top 100 players – an important mark on the professional tour and the gateway to direct entry into Grand Slam events.
He lamented the “brutal” nature of the sport as he began to live up to his potential but suffered another setback with a shoulder injury.
“I was 40 in the world, I got injured and my rankings completely dropped. I came back to play Challengers and I was pissed,” Draper said.
“But I knew that if I could put my body and mind in a good place, my tennis was good enough to compete with the best players in the world.”
This year proved this by:
Winning first ATP Tour title – 250 event in Stuttgart
Reaching the first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open
Breaking the top 20 in the ATP World Rankings
He became the fourth British man since 2009 to win an ATP 500 title
“It’s been a long year with a lot of ups and downs,” Draper said.
“But winning my first title, and then the US Open, had a huge impact on me believing that I really belonged.
“It’s been a snowball effect ever since.”
