'I'm just really excited to be back here at the US Open' - Jack Draper opens up on injury, new sponsor and mixed doubles ahead of first round clash

"It's an injury that takes time to heal. A bone can heal, but it might still give me some discomfort. That’s for sure. It's not something that's going to hold me back when I go out on Monday, though. I've been looking after it for the last month or so. I’m looking forward to getting back to competing—I think that will take my mind off a lot of things. So no, I don't feel like I'll be holding back at all."

The 23-year-old revealed he spent a period away from the court, unable to hit certain types of shots until his injury improved. "I didn’t hit any serves for about a month, and then groundstrokes I was able to hit after maybe two and a half weeks," he said. "So that was decent from that point on. Obviously, I had to build my load up—I couldn’t do a lot straight away. In terms of Wimbledon, no, the injury didn’t affect the way I performed. It was painful at times, but it wasn’t something where I was thinking, “Oh, this is really holding me back.” I didn’t know what I was dealing with at the time. I think Wimbledon came down more to me not adapting well enough to the grass and getting beaten by a better player on the day."

Change of sponsor

Recently, Draper ditched Nike for Vuori after his contract ended. It is a brand not as familiar in the tennis space, but Draper has taken the step in becoming the face of it, with only two other players on the tour boasting them as a sponsor - Eden Silva and Marcos Giron.

On the change of his clothes sponsor, Draper said: "Obviously, I’ve been with Nike for many years. My contract was running out this summer, and Vuori came in with an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I’ve always been someone who’s wanted to do something a bit different anyway. Working with a brand like Vuori—their creative mindset, their values—I think that really aligns with what I want to do. I think the kits and everything we’re going to create together is going to be really cool. So yeah, I’m very, very grateful for Nike for everything they’ve done over the years, but at the same time, I’m looking forward to the journey with Vuori.

"It’s really cool. Obviously, very privileged to be wearing the clothes. I’m one of a few—there’s Giron and a couple of other players—but to feel like I’m not playing someone with the same kit is a bit of a different feeling. I’m still a bit blown away by the fact that Vuori wants me to be the face of their brand. I’m not someone who’s always felt like I belong in that position. So I’m really grateful—it’s an amazing feeling. And everyone at Vuori has been amazing too, so I’m looking forward to what’s ahead."

Draper targeting the best

Draper's rise to the pinnacle of tennis has been a rapid one. He won his first title last year in Stuttgart, with his first Grand Slam final propelling him up into the top 20. He became the second youngest Brit to reach the top 10 after triumphing at Indian Wells, and has peaked at a career-high world number four. This is not the end of Draper's journey, who cites challenging the top two players - Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The key in his opinion to match them is through his ever-growing physicality, bulking up and putting in the hours in the gym over the years.

"I’ve worked incredibly hard the last few years on my physicality. Part of it is just genetics and growing into more of a man’s body—that took me a while," Draper said. "Playing more and more helped as well. This recent period has been amazing. I’ve had another training block to get more work in. In tennis, you don’t often get that chance to step off the hamster wheel and make real physical improvements. I didn’t have a pre-season at the end of last year, so this has felt really good. I’ve started to enjoy that side of things now. Before, I didn’t really want to push myself or feel strong. But now I feel great, and I understand how much it helps on the match court, especially on the big stages."

On asked what his observations of Sinner and Alcaraz were, Draper said : "Those guys are the most consistent. Their level is definitely above the rest of us right now. But I feel like a lot of players, including myself, are trying to keep improving and developing to reach their level. No one likes to see just two guys dominating. What they’ve done and what they’ve brought to the sport—the matches they’ve played, like at the French Open and Wimbledon—is really motivating as a player. And I think as a fan base, you can see the sport is changing and the level is getting higher. I’m obviously happy for them—they’re both amazing guys and I know them well. But I don’t want to just let them do it. I want to keep going after them, keep improving, and hopefully be competing with them soon."

Mixed doubles semi-final

Draper was in line with a host of partners for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event, but ended up with world number four Pegula. They combined effectively, reaching the semi-finals before bowing out to eventual runners-up Casper Ruud and Iga Swiatek. He exclaimed his enjoyment of the event, and stated that it 'shaprened' him up ahead of the singles event.

On the event, he said: "It was kind of perfect for me. I hadn’t had any competition or felt that atmosphere of playing in front of a crowd for a little while. A month and a half out is a long time in tennis. So for me, it was a really positive experience, probably more so than for some other players. It sharpened me up—playing points with ball kids, line judges, and the crowd. That definitely made me feel more ready than just having a week of training would have."

Draper kicks off his tournament on the second day, facing off against Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez on Louis Armstrong.