By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, March 20, 2026
Picture credit score: Dubai Responsibility Free Tennis Championships
Jack Draper performed one of the crucial dynamic matches of the 12 months edging Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells.
At this time, Draper was disarmed by Reilly Opelka’s rocket launcher.
Opelka slammed 25 aces and received 47 of 54 first-serve factors in a 7-6(3), 7-6(0) Miami Open win over Draper.
The 2025 Indian Wells champion Draper was taking part in simply his third event of the 12 months after a left arm damage pressured him to close down the 2025 season following his US Open first-round win.
The British left-hander mentioned he’s accepted the very fact it can take time for him to regain the physicality he confirmed as a Prime 10 participant final 12 months.
“I feel there’s undoubtedly quite a lot of areas I can take away from the previous few weeks,” Draper mentioned. “I feel it’s going to take me time to get again to the place I wish to be with my tennis and my physicality and all the things after the damage I’ve had.
“You understand, it’s one factor to, you realize, come again to the competitiveness, however typically it’s like individuals assume, oh, simply because you may have been away, you should be feeling nice, should be feeling actually contemporary mentally and able to go.”
Draper mentioned he should re-establish his health and standing amongst his friends.
“It’s completely different to that, as a result of clearly you undergo a lot once you get injured, and it’s mentally very robust to come back again simply to competing,” Draper mentioned. “Like I mentioned, I feel it’s simply going to be a little bit of a course of for me, and my momentum that I had final 12 months, I’m going to should earn that again once more. I assume that’s the factor, I’m going to go away, work laborious, and earn that momentum, yeah.”
Regardless of the very fact he didn’t face a break level in the present day, Draper’s Sunshine Double is over. The 2025 Madrid finalist mentioned he’s aiming to regain rhythm on filth.
“I’m really actually wanting ahead to it,” Draper mentioned of the upcoming spring clay season. “I feel it’s in all probability good for my recreation to play on some courts the place I can get quite a lot of rhythm with my tennis once more.
Dubai and particularly this week, very fast courts. I really feel like other than Indian Wells, I performed a few
tournaments the place it’s simply been serve/return.
“So I’m wanting ahead to getting on the clay really and taking part in some rallies and getting my confidence again in my tennis, yeah.”
