Jack Draper is hoping to have a good and consistent year on tour, but British No. 1 revealed he was taking “a lot” of painkillers to deal with hip tendonitis, which had hampered his chances of playing Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.
Draper’s physical problems came back and he Her fourth-round match against four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz lasted just two sets..
Draper entered the tournament with little preparation after suffering a hip injury in the preseason, which he admitted still needs to be managed.
He then spent more than 12 1/2 hours on the court, hurting his body through three five-set matches that proved to be too much.
“Essentially, I had tendonitis in my hip, so I had to get an MRI,” Draper said at a news conference. “I have a history of problems in that area, and they haven’t gone away. I’m still working through them.
“Obviously in pre-season I had a back injury and couldn’t walk and it was really hard. I’ve come this far and I’ve managed. It’s been incredible to see how many plays I’ve been able to make. I’ve done more than I’ve ever done before. I think it’s just a huge overload to put on your body.
“If I don’t really understand this part of my body and can’t make the right decisions, I don’t want to miss three or four months because of it.”
Draper was due to train with Alcaraz in Spain last December, but the 23-year-old had to cancel due to an injury. This is because he admits that this problem is a “time bomb” that he is managing by taking painkillers.
“I’m going to have to treat the tendonitis,” he admitted. “Certainly I could benefit from some rehabilitation or maybe an injection in that area. I decided to do some rehabilitation, but obviously I’m not feeling much better. Maybe I’ll see what I can do. It’s not a long-term thing at all. You have to be smart because there is no way out.
“I came here and played a ridiculous amount of tennis and broke down. The key to staying injury-free and being consistent is to be consistent with your injury-free body time, time to train, time to train, time to rest. Correct it.
“It’s not ideal if you’re dealing with injuries, enduring pain, and taking painkillers.
“I just want to do my best to manage it, take care of the areas that don’t hurt, be okay, and run without taking painkillers.”
When asked how many painkillers he was taking, Draper responded, “All the time. A lot. Yes, a lot.”
Especially knowing that there have been injuries in the past. I want to make the right decision because I don’t want to take months off. I want to be able to play and be consistent and be consistent again with my body and everything.
Draper is ‘proud’ of his efforts
Draper’s schedule didn’t help, as he had to play in full heat on the warmest day of the tournament.
He was under pressure from the start and soon looked somewhat uncomfortable, but Alcaraz was erratic in the opening set and the Spaniard barely managed to overcome it.
But by the end of the second, Draper could barely chase down a shot and Alcaraz was waiting to shake his hand.
“All things considered, I’m incredibly proud of my effort,” said Draper, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals last September.
“My tennis was pretty average. In fact, I was really bad all week, but my competitiveness, fight and desire to win got me into the last 16 of the Grand Slam. I’m very proud.”
“It’s really disappointing. I never like to miss out. I’m a person who tries my best in everything, but I know especially in the past there have been injuries. I just want to make the right decision. I don’t want to sit out months. I just want to be able to play and be consistent and be consistent again with my body and everything.”
Henman: A step too far for Draper
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Tim Henman and Laura Robson both selected Draper as the Most Improved Player of the 2024 ATP season.
Tim Henman speaking Eurosport About Draper’s retirement:
“It wasn’t motivation, I was fighting too hard with three five-year-olds,” the former British number one said.
“I don’t think it would have made any difference if Jack had won the first set, I just don’t think he had enough energy to face Alcaraz.
“Assuming he had hip issues in the offseason, he looked like he was struggling in that area and probably the top of his hamstring.
“I think Draper’s hands were somewhat tied. He went out and tried it, but unfortunately it was just a step too far.”
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