Jack Draper can’t escape the air of expectation that surrounds any gifted prospect showing world-beating promise among the ranks of British sport.
That interest has only intensified after the 22-year-old made short work of an out-of-sorts Tomas Machac 6-3 6-1 6-2 to become a US Open quarterfinalist in his third Flushing Meadows campaign.
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The once-gangly teenager had a serious introduction to the hype after he reached the boys’ singles final at Wimbledon in 2018 and while he fell shy in that formative moment, six years later he has stepped up to the plate as the clear British No.1.
Draper’s timely ascent has arrived amid three-time major champion Andy Murray’s retirement and while he may have displaced former world No.8 Cameron Norrie as his nation’s preeminent force, it helped that he was well versed in his compatriots’ recent history.
When pressed on his reaction to becoming the first British man through to the quarterfinals since Andy Murray in 2016, Draper was quick to ensure fellow left-hander Norrie’s Wimbledon 2022 semifinal run was not overlooked.
“Yeah, it's an incredibly proud moment for me. I think you mean here at the US Open?” Draper queried. “No, I think incredibly proud of that achievement. Obviously, it's one of the biggest tournaments in the world.
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“To follow in Andy's footsteps and make the quarterfinals here since he did it in 2016, it's a big achievement for me. But, you know, I think I've just got to keep on going because I know that there's still room for improvement and still room to hopefully go further in the tournament.”
Draper has quietly but quickly torn through the draw to better his Grand Slam fourth-round appearance from last year.
Yet to drop a set against four unseeded opponents, he is assured of a top-20 breakthrough should he deny Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur for a maiden Slam semifinal.
A quarterfinalist at three straight majors, De Minaur carries a 3-0 advantage into the clash and is mindful of the task at hand against the 25th seed, whose season highlights include a first tour title in Stuttgart, a final in Adelaide, a win over Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s and an ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal in Cincinnati leading in.
“Playing Jack, he's coming off his best year by far. He's playing with a lot of confidence,” De Minaur said. “He's got some very big weapons – his serve, backhand and forehand at times. So, it's always tough facing someone like him, especially a lefty.”
Confidence is lofty, but to suggest the transition has been seamless from gifted junior to emerging British No.1 would overlook the challenges Draper has faced with his body, particularly last season.
His mindset in the second week at Flushing Meadows is a world away from that of his 2023 campaign.
“I feel very different to last year. I think I barely played any tennis in the year, struggling with injuries all the time, and then obviously came here,” he said.
“I think I was still sort of very nervous and unsure before matches, you know, whether I would get through this one. Am I going to cramp in this one? Am I going to break down physically in this one, get injured or something like this?
“I was still really struggling with the shoulder injury when I played here last year. I feel very different now. I'm not waking up every day worried about playing five sets. I have so much more confidence in my mind and my body through experiences of playing on the tour now this year consistently.”
The last time a British man made it to the last four in New York, he went all the way to the silverware.
That was Murray 12 years ago, and while the relationship between heir apparent and the recent retiree was strong, Draper was confident in the team around him without needing to hassle his predecessor for advice.
“Probably not, no. Probably not. I think Andy – obviously I feel like he would completely understand and respond to any messages I send him and would give me advice, but I think also at the same time I think he's kind of enjoying his retirement now, and he's kind of done with it,” Draper said.
“But, yeah, I know if I have any questions or if I'm feeling something, then he'll be the first person I text.
“I know that he'd be there for me if I need him.”