"In all honesty, I haven't been able to train the way I wanted to": Jack Draper raises fitness concerns as Australian Open draws nearer

Britain’s Jack Draper has expressed his fitness concern ahead of the upcoming Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the year is set to begin from January 12 where players from all over the world will participate to showcase their talent at the highest level and win the ultimate prize.

One of the candidates who would have been in the running to lift the title next year was Draper, who had a fabulous 2024 season where he played in his maiden Grand Slam semifinal. The 22-year-old made his way to the last four of the US Open, where he lost to eventual champion and the reigning world number one Italy’s Jannik Sinner in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 7-6, 6-2. Overall, he played 59 matches across all competitions, winning 39 and losing just 20. It was for this reason that he finished the year as high as number 15 in the ATP rankings.

Draper has recently spoken to Sky Sports, where he expressed his concern about fitness during the 2025 Australian Open. The Sutton-born star has stated that he has not been able to train the way he would have wanted in the off-season, but he remains hopeful that he will be able to lift himself up and give his best shot at the title in Melbourne.

"In all honesty, I haven't been able to train the way I wanted to," he said. "My preparation, probably, for Australia won't be the best. But that's the situation in the sport you've got to roll with the highs and lows - and hopefully I give myself the best shot of playing well there. "Tennis is just a rolling wheel. There's every tournament, and it feels so significant, every event. And it is, because there's points available, there's lots of opportunity. But sometimes, you have to make the right decision, so we'll discuss it each day as a team, see what's right for me and yeah, go from there."