British number one Jack Draper continued his upward trajectory by winning the Erste Bank Open to claim his maiden ATP 500 title.
The 22-year-old, who reached the US Open semi-finals in September, capped a fine breakout season with Sunday’s straight-sets success over Russian Karen Khachanov.
Here, the PA news agency answers some of the key questions surrounding Draper.
What has he achieved?
How is his fitness?
Draper was left lamenting the “brutal” nature of sport this time last year after dropping from 40 in the world to outside the top 100 following a series of physical problems. The setbacks, which included heat-related illness and cramps, left him “angry” and playing on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour. This season has been far more positive. Aside from an abdominal issue, which caused him to pull out of last month’s ATP event in Tokyo and miss the Shanghai Masters, he has remained injury-free – and looked far fitter.
What are his strengths?
Glory in the Austrian capital increased Draper’s inner belief he belongs among the world’s elite. He has all the shots to compete with the tour’s top talent, with his vastly-improved first serve providing a platform for him to take control of matches. While Draper regularly catches the eye with his powerful ground strokes, he also possess the guile to keep opponents guessing. His deft drop shots were an effective weapon in his 6-4 7-5 defeat of Khachanov.
Where can he improve?
Draper has outlined ambitions of shaking things up at the top of the world rankings but knows he has improvements to make. Consistency will be key to challenging the likes of world number one Jannik Sinner and two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz for major honours moving forward. Despite positive progress, Draper’s fitness still needs to be worked on. He is also attempting to manage the anxiety which caused him to vomit three times during his US Open loss to Sinner.
What is next?
Having risen to 15 in the rankings, Draper plans to play the Paris Masters this week before taking a well-earned break during a gap in the tennis calendar. He has vowed to return refreshed for next season with a view to building on a stellar 2024 in which he has already played 58 ATP matches. The young Briton has Sinner and Alcaraz in his sights and will target Masters 1000 titles and Grand Slams, in addition to further improving his career-high ranking.