- Jack Draper’s nan Brenda has had a steady decline battling with Alzheimer’s
- He has now teamed up with Alzheimer’s Society in a bid to raise awareness
- The 21-year-old credits his nan for getting him into tennis at a young age
Young British tennis star Jack Draper has decided to join the battle against Alzheimer’s disease for a very personal reason – to honour the grandparent who first got him into the sport.
The 21-year-old lefthander, who is GB’s brightest hope on the men’s side, admits it has been difficult watching the deterioration in his grandmother Brenda, who eight years ago was diagnosed with the disease that is Britain’s biggest killer.
Draper will head to Australia straight after Christmas after finishing the season strongly, suggesting that a big 2024 beckons after finally recovering from a string of injuries this year.
He broke off from his preparations this week to discuss how the condition has affected his family, and why he has chosen to become a champion of the Alzheimer’s Society.
‘Tennis comes from my Nana. She was a tennis coach when she was younger and I was always very fortunate in my family that it seemed like everyone could hit a tennis ball,’ he said.
Jack Draper (left) is trying to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s in honour of his nan Brenda (right)
The British tennis star’s family is personally affected by the devastating impact of the disease
‘Me and my brother played with her when we were young and she was always our biggest fan along with my grandad.
‘She got hit with the disease in 2015 and ever since it has been a steady decline.
‘My grandfather has done an incredible job to keep her going almost. It’s a full-time job and he is essentially her carer.
‘It is a tough disease because you work your whole life, and instead of enjoying the rest of it, you have to care for this person, it’s not what you expect them to be. It has definitely been really difficult for all of us.
‘To see the person that you love, your Nana, almost fade away a bit is not easy. I see them daily or weekly when I am around.
‘It is not like you don’t sometimes see your grandparents for months and months. They have always been very close to me.
‘When I was a lot younger, she used to come and watch me play, she gave me advice: “Ball toss up”. “Use your legs more.” My grandfather says that now I have got to the point where watching on TV and seeing me playing against great players, she’s looking at the wall, which is difficult.
‘You have no control over it, because there is no real cure for it yet. You are watching it unfold. It’s definitely taken a massive toll on my mum. But I think through time you get to accept the fact of what it is.’
Draper shared a series of pictures from his childhood alongside his grandma and granddad
Draper is currently ranked 61 but expected to climb considerably higher next year, assuming that he is no longer held back by physical issues.
He admitted that to achieve his potential he will need to be selfish, but that he would like to temper that with helping a cause close to his heart.
‘You are always very self-centred. I think that something that’s mentally difficult for an athlete, you are not helping other people. It’s nice to be able to use a platform to help organisations or charities, I think it is really important.’
Next week he will play in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown exhibition event at London’s Excel Arena.
The relentless schedule means that he will depart for Australia shortly after Christmas and plans to play the Adelaide Open before heading to Melbourne for the opening Grand Slam of the season.