As Jack Draper crumpled into his chair and covered his face after an afternoon of high-octane, quality tennis concluded with defeat in the opening stanza of Great Britain’s 2-0 defeat to Serbia, his despair was clear for all to see. With Novak Djokovic looming in the second rubber of their Davis Cup quarter-final tie, practically every spectator in Málaga’s sold-out Palacio de los Deportes was aware how essential the first was. After two bitter tie-breaks, the match had escaped him.
But Draper had not taken many wrong steps on the court. He had fought tooth and nail to remain in the opening set before his level dropped in the tie-break, then he had performed strongly until the end of a second set that came down to a couple of points.
While the 21-year-old had played fairly well, Miomir Kecmanovic was spectacular. Another talented younger player waiting for his breakthrough, he had seized the moment, produced one of his best performances of the year and deservedly took the win.
Sometimes, the opponent is just too good. The experience remains an important part of Draper’s learning curve, a key step in his personal growth and in the not too distant future when he is likely to be the figurehead for the British Davis Cup team. In Draper’s press conference afterwards, it was impressive to see him recognise the positive aspects of his experience in spite of his frustration: “Obviously I’m focused on the match, but again, it’s an invaluable experience for me at a young age,” he says.
After the year Draper has endured, the fact he was able to be present and healthy enough to enjoy the victory was a success in itself. Last season had also included numerous injury setbacks but Draper finished the year having made clear progress, establishing himself at a career high ranking of No 42 and positioning himself to rise up into the Top 30 and beyond.
He had started this year in similar form, reaching the semi-finals in Adelaide and then facing off against Rafael Nadal in a tough four-set match in the opening round of the Australian Open. Since then, though, his body has let him down time and time again. Hip, abdominal and shoulder problems kept him far from the court, including a miserable withdrawal from Wimbledon. By September, he was ranked No 123, back to grinding at ATP Challenger events as quickly as he had graduated from them.
“Since I got injured with my shoulder in May, I was kind of staring down the barrel a bit, hadn’t played all year. Seemed like my ranking was just dropping all the time. When I finally got back to playing, I was ranked 130. It was a real tough challenge to sort of get back with the challengers and mentally have to deal with that real drop,” he says.
Since his return just before the US Open, though, Draper has been able to quickly find his level. A career-best fourth round run in New York, an ATP Challenger title and this first ATP final only a few weeks ago in Sofia have combined to halve his ranking since September to No 60.
The experience from this latest loss ensures that he will head into the off-season with positive sentiments as he tries to move up the rankings again. As always, ensuring that his body and his fitness is robust enough to handle the rigours of the tour will be an essential goal for Draper in the five weeks before the new season kicks off. If he can, there will be so much more to come from him.
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While Cameron Norrie was dismissed in straight sets by Djookovic on Thursday, he was satisfied by his level and fight against the best player in the world. He had prepared for the Davis Cup finals by unusually taking a break and withdrawing from the Paris Masters.
Along with a minor knee complaint, it seems clear that after two improbable, life-changing years saw Norrie establish himself as a Top 10 and 15 player, his heavy schedule finally caught up with him. Since Wimbledon, Norrie has looked worn out, compiling a grim 4-12 record since then.
With more rest and training to come in the off-season, Norrie’s aim will be to ensure that he is physically and mentally ready to rediscover his high level at the beginning of the new season. More than two years as a top-20 player has been impressive enough, but he wants more.