Draper makes coaching change ahead of US Open, parts ways with Ferreira

Jack Draper parts ways with Wayne Ferreira after four months. The Brit No. 1 had brought on the former world No. 6 coach at the end of April during the clay-court swing, working alongside his previous mentor, James Trotman.

Ferreira came with a solid reputation after his previous work with American Frances Tiafoe from 2020 to 2023, during which he elevated Tiafoe from the 80th position to the top 10, won two titles, reached three more finals, and achieved his best Grand Slam result by reaching the US Open semifinals in 2022. However, they parted ways after a poor run of form by the American.

This time, Ferreira took on a co-coach role alongside James Trotman. Since then, Draper had some good results, including winning the Stuttgart Open and reaching the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Open, along with victories over notable players like Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Carlos Alcaraz.

The Brit climbed over 20 positions to world No. 25, his best ranking so far. However, as revealed by Telegraph Sport, Draper decided to return to working exclusively with James Trotman, a former British tennis player with extensive experience coaching British players like Kyle Edmund, Anne Keothavong, and Naomi Cavady.

Jack Draper was scheduled to play at the ATP 250 Winston-Salem Open this week and was the second seed, but he withdrew after his strong run to the quarterfinals in Cincinnati, wanting to avoid overexerting himself just days before the US Open.

At Flushing Meadows, Draper will play his first tournament without Ferreira. The Brit is the 25th seed and will face China's Zhizhen Zhang in the first round, with a potential third-round clash against Carlos Alcaraz if both manage to advance as seeded players.