Briton ‘growing out instead of up now’
Draper working with Andy Murray’s former coaches
During the typically chaotic media day before Wimbledon in June, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper were working through their commitments when they briefly crossed paths in the broadcast media mixed zone. As they warmly greeted each other, Sinner looked his good friend up and down, and a smile spread across his face: “Always stronger,” he said, jokingly flexing both arms.
Draper, who responded with a sheepish, embarrassed laugh, has heard such observations many times in recent months. At the same time that he has risen up the rankings over the past 15 months, transforming himself into one of the best in the world, he has become one of the most physically strong players on the ATP Tour.
At 6ft 4in (193cm), Draper has always stood as an imposing figure on the court, but more recently he has filled out into a more muscular athlete. This evolution has coincided with Draper’s decision to enlist the services of the strength and conditioning coach Matt Little and the physio Shane Annun, both of whom worked for many years with Andy Murray until his retirement. Draper is insistent that his increased size has been a natural consequence of his physical maturation with age rather than a concerted attempt to gain more muscle.
