Heavy ATP workload weighing down Draper

British hope Jack Draper has issued a warning about the dangers of a packed-out tournament calendar on player longevity.

The US Open semi-finalist who has risen to a career-best 20th ranking, lost a Davis Cup rubber in Manchester less than a week after his career-defining success at Flushing Meadows, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.

The player who has competed in 49 matches this season said the modern pace of scheduling is becoming too much to handle.

“It’s a mental (demanding) calendar,” the 22-year-old said. “It’s going to be very hard for players of my age to achieve longevity any more (such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic enjoyed).

“If you look at how many tournaments I’ve played this year, it’s hopefully 25, 26 for the first time. That’s a big positive in itself – this is my first proper year on tour.

“It’s definitely tough, but my team want the best for me, they want me to stay injury-free, to look after my body and mind.”

Draper suggested the situation was not helped by the inclusion of the Paris Olympics in late summer.

“Since Miami (March) I just haven’t had any time,” he said. 

“We went straight into the clay, then straight on to the grass, straight to the Olympics, straight out to Montreal, Cincinnati, training week, US Open, here, then it’s Asia, then it’s indoor season.”

He added: “I look at the sort of schedule, and I know players have done it for years, but the way the ATP have changed to two weeks with the Masters and these types of things, it’s giving us no time any more.

“There’s literally no break. It’s really mentally and physically challenging.”

Draper is due back in harness for the ATP event in Beijing starting in less than a fortnight under the new extended regime for Masters tournaments.

Main photo;- Jack Draper winning Quarter Final match in the 2024 US Open Tennis – by Mark Greenwood International Sports Fotos Ltd