PEOPLE

A day with Jack Draper

Eat. Sleep. Train. Repeat. With every day that passes, 18-year-old tennis player Jack Draper moves further and further up the rankings ladder. We spoke to the rising star about his burgeoning career, pro tennis tips and the daily rituals he can’t live without.

‘On a normal day, I play tennis for three hours and train in the gym for an hour and a half. For the remainder of the day, I rest my body and find fun or productive things to do. I’ll see friends, play golf, look after my dog, study… and just have a good time.  

ON TRAINING
‘When I’ve got a tournament on, I do two weeks of tough training on and off court to make sure my body is strong and I’m ready for a match or competition. Training has become more intense as I’ve gone up in level and rank. The competition is a lot tougher to cope with, both physically and mentally. I am always trying to adapt and develop to meet the demands of the pro circuit.

ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
‘My diet could be better – but I’m only 18! I try to get lots of food inside me before and after practice and competition. Before a match, I have eggs or cereal, mid-match it’s always a banana, and after a game I’ll have chicken and rice or pasta.

‘I try to believe in myself, and not to overthink things. I make sure I eat and sleep well and, in general, do the right things consistently. Stretching helps keep my body loose, as do massages and swimming. 

ON HIS PRO TIPS
‘On grass it’s key to stay low, as the bounce is often unpredictable and lower. In contrast, on hard and clay courts, the bounce is usually at shoulder height. It is generally much more physically demanding to play on these surfaces, as the rallies and matches are much longer. 

‘Being tall helps but the perfect serve is all about ball toss accuracy and speed. Being a left hander is good, as it opens the court up and gets the opponent out of position. 

ON STYLE
‘You only have to play in all-white activewear at Wimbledon. Apart from that, anything goes! Being an individual sport, tennis is a great way for people to express their personality on court, both in the way they play and how they look.’

Jack Draper (@jackdraper2) wears the AW20 collection for COS. Photography by Jack Davison. Styling by Clare Richardson.