Australian Open 2025: How a fitter, calmer Jack Draper could beat Carlos Alcaraz
2025-01-18
Category: sports

Australian Open 2025Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne ParkCoverage: Live radio commentary of Carlos Alcaraz v Jack Draper on BBC 5 Sports Extra (not before 04:30 GMT) and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
In 2023, after a succession of niggles, Jack Draper said he hated "being the guy who is injured a lot".Last year, he was sick after his first-round victory at the Australian Open, and again during his US Open semi-final defeat by Jannik Sinner in September.The Briton has since worked hard on his stamina and endurance.And he is now reaping the rewards - winning three gruelling five-set matches to reach the Australian Open fourth round and set up a meeting with Carlos Alcaraz.Draper is bidding to reach the Melbourne quarter-finals for the first time, while four-time major winner Alcaraz is aiming to go all the way and complete the 'career Slam'.BBC Sport looks at the tweaks both men have made to get to this stage.
Breathing changes and calm on court
Draper is the last remaining Briton in singles action in Melbourne, but he has been made to work hard, spending 12 hours and 34 minutes on court so far.
Draper has shown signs of fatigue during previous gruelling matches, but his off-season work is starting to show.One difference is his breathing."I had a lot of problems with my sinuses when I was younger, so I breathe a lot through my mouth," said Draper. "When you are anxious or you have long points and have to recover quickly, it's not efficient to breathe through your mouth."I've been trying to reverse what I do and breathe through my nose better."Former British number one Annabel Croft has also pointed to Draper keeping better control of his emotions."Jack is so much calmer on court than he ever was as a junior. Generally across the board, his calmness is quite zen-like," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Lots of great champions like Bjorn Bjorg and Roger Federer have completely controlled their emotions on the court. It makes a massive difference in saving that energy."
Alcaraz, by contrast, has been reasonably efficient in Melbourne, dropping just one set and spending only six hours and 10 minutes on court.
The Australian Open is the only major 21-year-old Alcaraz hasn't won - something he is bidding to put right.BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller says Alcaraz's form is ominous."He's worked on his serve, he looks fantastic physically, he's been in the gym and he's made a good start over the first three rounds," Fuller said."He's going to be incredibly difficult to beat."
'Draper will feel he has answered a few critics'
Jonathan Jurejko, BBC Sport tennis reporter at Melbourne ParkHow Draper fares against Alcaraz depends heavily on how he pulls up on Saturday.After another late-night grueller against Aleksandar Vukic, Draper was planning to recharge and refuel with plenty of sleep and food. He wasn't down on Saturday's practice schedule.The British number one spoke during his post-Vukic news conference - which wrapped up about 2:30am - about switching off from tennis and trying to relax.Draper will feel he has answered a few critics after coming through three successive five-setters.The robustness he has added has been the product of hard graft with his physical trainer Steve Kotze - who he calls the "best in the world" - and physio Will Herbert.Draper has also sought professional advice to overcome the anxiety issues which led to being sick on court in New York last year.All the work has helped him, as he says, "go for longer" in energy-sapping matches.But if he is going to have any chance of beating Alcaraz, you feel he will have to do the same again - if he is physically able to.