Alcaraz’s class personified as non-public Draper texts shared after harm hell
Carlos Alcaraz‘s class got here to gentle as Laura Robson revealed that the world No 1 despatched Jack Draper some non-public messages when the Brit discovered himself struck down by yet one more harm. The 21-year-old has confronted a number of bodily setbacks in his younger profession – together with at Indian Wells earlier this 12 months when he retired injured whereas going through Alcaraz. And the Spaniard has been available to supply Draper a shoulder to lean on throughout the powerful instances.
Draper has endured a irritating season off the again of one of the best 12 months of his profession. Last 12 months, the British No 7 reached his first tour-level semi-final in Eastbourne, additionally making a Masters quarter-final in Montreal and the third spherical of the US Open.
Since reaching a career-high rating of No 38 again in January, the 21-year-old has been sidelined by a number of accidents – together with an belly subject in Indian Wells. Draper superior to the spherical of 16 on the first Masters of the 12 months, defeating compatriots Dan Evans and Andy Murray en route.
But he was compelled to retire towards Alcaraz after selecting up the harm in his match towards Murray. Draper then pulled out of the Miami Open the next week and was sidelined for a month. Laura Robson has now revealed that Alcaraz despatched the younger Brit some non-public messages of assist after their match in Indian Wells was minimize brief.
While commenting on Alcaraz’s match towards one other Brit – Dan Evans – for Sky Sports, the retired British professional shared the candy story. “I was actually speaking to Jack Draper back in Miami after he’d had to pull out of the tournament there having injured himself in Indian Wells,” she began.
“He was getting texts from Carlos saying, ‘Let me know if you need anything. Reach out if you want to have a chat about how you’re feeling, about having so many injuries on and off.’ And just got the situation. And Jack’s got nothing but good things to say about him. But I can’t think of anyone who has got a bad thing to say about him.”
Draper managed to return from that belly harm a month later on the Monte Carlo Masters. But extra unhealthy luck struck when he injured his shoulder a couple of weeks later on the French Open and was sidelined for your complete British grass-court summer time, lacking his dwelling Grand Slam occasion at Wimbledon.