Jack Draper is the last Brit standing in singles competition at the US Open but he’s now eyeing a spot in the quarter-finals when he faces Andrey Rublev on Monday.
Draper, 21, arrived in New York simply hoping to stay fit having retired from his second-round match at the Winston-Salem Open just a week before the start of the final Grand Slam of the year, yet now he is chasing a place in the quarter-finals.
The British No 4 has endured an injury-hit year and slipped from a career-high ranking of 38 to outside the top 100.
A shoulder injury saw him miss Wimbledon and threatened his participation at Flushing Meadows and despite serving within himself in a bid to manage the problem, Draper is now the only British player to reach the last 16 after winning a four-set battle with American Michael Mmoh on Saturday.
Having reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, Draper is now looking to go even further.
“I mean, when I am playing, I’m not here just to be here and be happy to play. I’m a competitor when I get into the matches. I want to win everything,” he said.
“Definitely at the start of the week, there was real concern about my body and with the year I’ve had, whether I’d be able to play one match.
“Obviously it’s the best-of-five sets, so it’s completely different to what a three-set match even holds.
“You know, we just wanted to stay fit this trip. That was kind of the goal, you know, to get consistent competition in, because that’s just something I haven’t had.
“To come here this week and to play the way I have and to compete the way I have and for my body to hold up has been, it’s been pretty special for me, really.”
Draper takes on Rublev, the eighth seed, for a place in the last eight with the Russian holding a 2-0 lead in meetings.
The 25-year-old former world No 5 is an eight-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist and won the biggest title of his career in Monte Carlo earlier this year. He has beaten Arthur Cazaux, Gael Monfils and Arthur Rinderknech to reach the fourth round in New York.
“He’s been top 10 for many years, having great results, consistently doing well in the Slams and won his first 1000 event this year,” added Draper.
“Anyone who you play in the fourth round, I suppose they’ve won three matches and they’re playing good tennis and feeling good out here, so it will be really difficult either way.”
Boulter: What Draper has done is so impressive
He’s just a good guy and it’s so nice to see him doing well. He really does deserve it because he puts the work in day in, day out.
Draper made it through on a day when fellow Brits Katie Boulter, Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans all tumbled out.
Boulter, who lost to American Peyton Stearns, was quick to praise the 21-year-old from Sutton for his amazing powers of recovery.
“What he’s done is so impressive, it really is. I don’t think anyone quite understands how hard it is to come back from an injury,” said Boulter.
“I know players who have injuries and struggled to come back. He’s out here in the fourth round of a Slam for the first time playing some of the best tennis. He’s just a good guy and it’s so nice to see him doing well. He really does deserve it because he puts the work in day in, day out.
“I wish him the best. Keep flying the flag and he has the game for it.”
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Watch highlights of Draper’s impressive four-set victory over Michael Mmoh on Saturday
The US Open on Sky Sports: How and where to watch
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