At last October’s Challenger event in Bergamo, Draper had just broken into the world’s top 100, a crucial indicator on the professional tour and a gateway to direct entry into Grand Slam events.
He was bemoaning the “brutal” nature of the sport as he began to reach his full potential but suffered another setback with a shoulder injury.
“I got injured at Worlds 40 and my ranking dropped completely. I came back to the Challengers and I was angry,” Draper said.
“But I knew that if I could put my body and mind in a good place, my tennis would be good enough to compete with the best players in the world.”
This year he proved it by:
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Won first ATP Tour title – 250 event in Stuttgart
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Reached first Grand Slam semifinal at US Open
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Entered the top 20 in the ATP World Rankings
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He became the fourth Briton to win the ATP 500 title since 2009.
“It’s been a long year with a lot of ups and downs,” Draper said.
“But winning my first title and the US Open really helped me believe that I belong.
“It’s been a snowball effect since then.”
