‘It could possibly be Jack. Why not?’ Jack Draper’s new coach Jamie Delgado on why British No 1 can win a Grand Slam | Tennis Information

Jamie Delgado cannot cover his pleasure on the prospect of working with Jack Draper and with the intention of taking the 24-year-old to the top of the game. The British No 1 returns to ATP Tour motion on the Dubai Obligation Free Tennis Championships – dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis.

Underneath former coach James Trotman, Draper gained three ATP Tour titles, together with the Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells final March, whereas he made his main Grand Slam breakthrough by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 2024 in addition to reaching a a excessive of fourth within the rankings.

Delgado’s three-year partnership with Grigor Dimitrov got here to an finish in September, however he’s greatest recognized for his work with Andy Murray, serving to the Scot win a second Wimbledon title and finish 2016 as world No 1. So can he assist take Draper to Grand Slam glory?

“I am tremendous excited,” Delgado informed Sky Sports activities Tennis. “He is one of many up and coming gamers in world tennis and one of many few guys that may problem Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] on the high.

“He is British as properly, which for me makes it much more particular. He is an incredible participant, nice boy and tremendous thrilling.

“James spent a few weeks with us on the apply court docket and I’ve recognized James for thus lengthy and stored updated with Jack’s progress in recent times. I have been on the apply court docket with them over time as properly, which has been a assist.

“Regardless that I recognized Jack for a very long time, that form of perception – how he trains, what makes him tick – it has been head begin for me.”

What goes into the player-coach partnership?

Delgado defined: “You are form of managing the entire crew and never simply him. The bodily aspect, the administration aspect, the teaching aspect, the schedule. You are at all times studying [what makes him tick]. The earlier gamers I’ve coached, you by no means really feel as if you understand them 100 per cent. You have to work at it and get to know them off the court docket as properly as a result of that is actually necessary to have them comfortable and have sure issues off the court docket that may assist them on the court docket.

“He is an incredible boy, he is tremendous sincere, he is very humble. He speaks on to you so he is a simple particular person to get to know and I’ve liked it.

“I feel he’s [close to the top]. He is crushed Carlos a few instances now. The apparent issues in his sport are that he clearly has a whole lot of energy. To beat these high guys it is advisable take the racket out of their palms. It’s totally troublesome to beat them cat and mouse, beat them from the baseline or outplaying them. You do want pictures that on the day are adequate to knock them off the court docket and he undoubtedly has that.

“Every week like Indian Wells he can clearly serve massive, he can hit the ball massive from the baseline, and bodily he can match them as properly. He is proper there! These guys have accomplished it very constantly over the previous few years and have gotten the titles to show that however Jack’s bought it in his locker to compete with these guys and push them for giant titles.”

Can he emerge from the pack of challengers?

“It could possibly be Jack. Why not? That is the best way I am pondering and seeing it,” mentioned Delgado. “That is the best way he is seeing it as properly. You by no means know who it’ll be however there isn’t any purpose why it could actually’t be Jack. I feel he is proven sufficient, already for folks to rightfully suppose it is perhaps him. He went on a path of profitable a 250 occasion, then 500, he gained a Masters collection, he is been in a semi-finals of a Grand Slam.

“He has had wins over Carlos. I do not suppose he is crushed Jannik and I feel the mentality aspect of it’s important that he has had these outcomes to offer him confidence to perhaps beat these guys within the largest of matches.”

Can he win a Grand Slam at some point?

“I’ve at all times had that mindset with the gamers I’ve coached to attempt to obtain one thing that they have not earlier than. It is not at all times simple while you’re working with high gamers however a Slam is one thing he clearly hasn’t achieved but. That’s one thing that’s doable.”

This duopoly cannot go on eternally, can it?

“They’re clearly tremendous younger and also you suppose it’ll go on for some time nevertheless it’s troublesome. I do know they make it look very simple to be there and win these tournaments nevertheless it does take quite a bit out of you and in case you solely drop 5 per cent, your mindset, your starvation, that edge that makes you win these tournaments, you could possibly lose just a few matches.

“Even within the final 12 months or so, Grigor may have crushed him at Wimbledon and he struggled in opposition to Eliot Spizzirri on the Australian Open. There are matches he can lose however for somebody like Jack, he’ll must play very properly, enhance, and it could possibly be good in the event that they dropped their stage a bit bit.”

Draper’s troublesome arm harm

“Within the short-term I am making an attempt to assist him suppose long-term however totally conscious that he is down on matches and his rating is dropping so it is robust to get that confidence in these massive matches with out that however I am taking a look at his sport and making an attempt to construct one thing that would win him a Grand Slam. We have undoubtedly bought that imaginative and prescient.

“You by no means know when it’ll occur however so long as you are constructing in the fitting method it offers you the very best likelihood.”

Why Draper has the sport…

“His backhand is rock stable however I feel it could possibly be higher. He is usually a bit extra offensive with that shot. He defends amazingly properly and he can change path. He is bought all of the pictures on that aspect however can he be a bit extra proactive with that? I feel he can.

“Can he put guys in harder conditions? I feel he can. His forehand is a shot when he’s going for it and feeling it – there’s a lot energy that he can outmuscle guys on that shot. He can change path tremendous properly, particularly on a court docket that offers him a bit bit extra time when he is bought time to load up on it. Once I watch it, I am glad I am not enjoying in opposition to it.

“I am not evaluating him to [Rafael] Nadal however when it comes to that lefty model he likes to raise the ball excessive and it is higher when he has a bit extra time, and serve. He has variation on the serve, it is troublesome to learn it and he will get good energy as properly. He is bought some pictures that takes the racket out of your palms – even the very best gamers.”

Draper in comparison with Sinner and Alcaraz in 2025

What does Draper must do to overcome grass?

Draper noticed his Wimbledon journey come to a crashing halt, as he was crushed by former finalist Marin Cilic final 12 months that means all three of his campaigns in south west London have foundered by the second spherical.

Delgado mentioned: “Once you watch him play you’d naturally suppose that he fits a slower court docket needing a bit extra time however he has had some success on grass, even in juniors when he bought to the Wimbledon ultimate and he gained Stuttgart 250 on grass a few years in the past.

“To do properly on grass, I feel the return could be an necessary factor for him this 12 months. He has the power to return additional up the court docket nearer to baseline, particularly on second serve returns. Once you take a look at Carlos and Jannik on a grass court docket, they’re taking time away.

“And the motion aspect of issues, I feel we’ll see an enchancment in his motion on grass this 12 months.”

Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, dwell on Sky Sports activities or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra dwell sport this 12 months at no additional price. Discover out extra right here.