"That obviously helps": Jack Draper reveals steps he is taking to overcome breathing issue ahead of Qatar Open final

Britain’s tennis star Jack Draper has revealed a new method to overcome breathing problem ahead of the final in the Qatar Open. The 23-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the most talented players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, has cemented his place in the final of the event in Doha after beating Jiri Lehecka in the last-four clash with a score of 3-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Draper is now set to face Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the final, who cemented his place in the last four after beating Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime in the semifinal with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 7-6. Talking ahead of the final with the ATP’s official website, the Sutton-born star spoke about dealing with a sinus issue. The 2024 US Open runner-up explained how he is using different methods to overcome breathing issues during the contest.

“Historically, I had a lot of problems with my sinuses when I was younger, and I suppose in tennis, in sport, we’re always trying to look for the small percentages,” he said. “So I started to look into more of the other reasons potentially. I realised that I was a real mouth breather, and so I looked into how I could start to maybe change functionally the way I breathe. At the end of the day, if you’re out of breath, or if you’re anxious or stressed, then you have to have ways of being able to calm yourself down. If you can calm yourself down, and if you can stay in the present, you’re more able to focus on what you’re actually doing. That obviously helps massively mentally. There are still lots of improvements to come, but I worked a lot on trying to breathe through my diaphragm and my nose instead of breathing through my mouth, because you can’t get enough oxygen in that way.”