Britain’s tennis star Jack Draper’s bad luck continues, this
time in the Mexican Open. The 22-year-old had to retire from the semifinal of
the competition while facing Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
If Draper would have won that tie, he would cement his place
in the top 30. However, he will now be ranked as high as 37 when the new ATP rankings
are revealed on Monday.
After the match, Draper stated that he would continue to
fight and improve his ranking as that is his primary objective.
“I have spoken about rankings goals with my coach and if I
can stay injury-free and stay on the trajectory I have been on since last
summer, there is no reason why I can’t be ranked in the top 20 by the end of
this year,” said Draper. “That’s my goal, that’s where I want to be. I know I
can go a lot further than that, but one step at a time and that’s a good goal
for me.”
His opponent in the semifinal De Minaur heaped praise on Draper,
who according to him is ‘one hell of a player’ and wished him a speedy recovery
as well.
“He’s a hell of a player, a hell of a talent and I hope it’s
nothing too serious,” he said. “I think those are the types of situations which
are the hardest to control as a player because you’re stuck in two minds.
Read also
“One mind is, alright, you can see your opponent hurting. So
let’s just try and put the ball in the court and make him just miss. What you
really have to do is play the same style of tennis that you were that got you
to that stage. So it’s extremely hard to focus in those situations, and often
these are the matches that can complicate themselves.
“Even though I dropped that second set, I knew he was
hurting from then and I just told myself to bring up the intensity, try and get
a head start in the third set and make it a little bit harder for him.
“But honestly, I wish him a speedy recovery. He’s a hell of
a player, a hell of a talent and I hope it’s nothing too serious.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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