Draper had a number of physical problems during his first few years of the tour. He didn’t play for two and a half months due to a shoulder injury in the summer of 2023, and his hip problems in December affected his preparation for the season.
He put a lot of power through his body – using his serve and forehand as his two biggest assets – admits that “reining” in his serve may bring benefits
“It surprised me a little bit that even if I do offer my full strength, my service numbers and ace aren’t where I want them — I don’t think it’s a bad thing to put it back in at times.”
“You’ll see the top servers of all time – someone like Novak Djokovic is so underestimated, and he’s in a very good position. He didn’t hit it in 140 [miles per hour].
“They are using slices, rotations, different variations – so, I think there’s something to say for sure. It’s not how fast you shoot into the service, it’s about its effectiveness.”
Draper also admitted in New York that such injuries could be very serious. Through the rest of the season, he will have no games for at least four months.
