“Whoever is at the top deserves to earn, it’s all well-deserved money”

After the match with Musett and after recovering a little from the effort of today’s match, Jack Draper showed up in the press room.

Whoever is at the top I think deserves to earn that amount of money.

Jack Draper, a proposito del 6 Kings Slam

REQUEST: Jack, great week for you. You are in the most important final of your career. You must be very happy with the week overall.
Draper: Yes. Yes. Really happy. Today was a difficult match against Lorenzo. He had a great season. We are a similar age and have played many times before. And yes, I am very happy to be in the final of my first 500. I feel that the consistency, the work I have done, has been excellent and I see constant improvements. So it’s nice to see all of this being rewarded.

REQUEST: Jack, obviously we’re a little concerned about your condition. How are you?
Draper: Yeah, I mean, I knew this week was going to be a challenge because I got sick while I was in Asia. I had tonsillitis. So obviously I had to take antibiotics and couldn’t play, which takes a lot out of you. I didn’t play at all. So my physicality, obviously, dropped quite a bit. And I’m someone who sweats a lot on the court, so sometimes I find it difficult to replenish fluids, and when games get physical, I have to find ways to recover. I’m still trying to figure out how to improve myself physically. I think I did a good job of staying calm and finishing the match, but it was difficult. And yes, I’m still trying to figure out how to improve not only in my tennis.

UBITENNIS QUESTION: In your opinion, what makes comparison with you so difficult for Lorenzo? You have played three times and you have always won.
Draper: I don’t know, you should ask him. I think the fact that he has a one-handed backhand and plays against a lefty can be difficult. Maybe even my serve, my forehand and my game plan. Tennis is a game of pairs, some players don’t like playing against others. But in general, every time we play it’s obviously a difficult game. He is incredibly talented and has had a great season, beating many top players. But I guess the biggest thing is that I’m left-handed and he has a one-handed backhand. Maybe his general game plan doesn’t work against me as well as other players.

REQUEST: Could you say something about your next opponent?
Draper: Yes, I think whether it is with De Minaur or with Khachanov it will be a very, very difficult match. Khachanov won last week so he’s in good shape. He has a lot of confidence, which in tennis is a big advantage. He’s playing very well, beating Berrettini easily doesn’t happen very often, so he must be playing really well. And then Alex too, I know what to expect from him. Playing against him is like a war, he is an incredible fighter, he never gives up. It will be a difficult match and a great final. I hope.

REQUEST: Many players criticize the fact that the calendar is too full. Do you also share this opinion or what do you think?
Draper: Obviously it’s been a long season. From March to Asia I didn’t stop, I continued non-stop. So I think this is my first full year on tour without any major injuries. It’s been a real challenge, and I’m starting to feel it, like all the other players. As I said before, I didn’t stop. I think I had maybe a few days off from March to October. I’m young and I would like to have a long time ahead of me, but sometimes I think it will be difficult to do this for another 10 years. I try to think only about tomorrow, day by day, trying to stay present, and in the end it’s the same for everyone. On the other hand, I am fully aware of how privileged and lucky I am to do something I love and earn good money. I have many things that other people don’t have, like traveling the world and many other amazing things. But, from a physical and mental point of view, sometimes I worry a little about myself and how I will end up, but we’ll see. Like I said, I’m incredibly lucky to be in this position and be able to play the sport I loved as a young man.

UBITENNIS QUESTION: I saw you play yesterday and today, and I think you hit a lot of drop shots. Was this something intentional, a deliberate game plan?
Draper: I think I’ve done it a lot in the last few days, but I think it was a good tactic, it worked well yesterday against Thomas and today. With my tennis, with the ball speed, I push the players behind, far behind the baseline. So, sometimes it’s a good change to do a drop shot. Sometimes I think I do it too often, but if you can do it it’s a really effective shot.

REQUEST: You were talking about big profits. What do you think about this thing called ‘Six Kings Slam’ and all that money the winner gets, like $7.5 million? Do you think it’s still positive?
Draper: For players, breaking into the top 100 in the world is incredibly difficult. Most players can barely make a living from tennis. It’s a brutal sport. So if the best players earn that money, I think they deserve it. Tennis is an incredibly difficult sport. It’s an individual sport, we travel a lot and we do everything ourselves. Obviously we have teams, but it’s a really tough sport. And in other sports like soccer, players earn a lot of money, probably more than in tennis. In my opinion, if the best players in the world earn that money, they deserve it, because I understand how hard it is every day to be at the top in tennis. Whoever is at the top I think deserves to earn that amount of money.