"Everyday was sort of Groundhog Day, getting up and going into training and making sure we do the best to have a great day and just trying to motivate each other and get back to where we are.

"Being round people who find themselves going by way of the identical struggles and have the identical type of paths. I feel, for a tennis participant, it is essential. So I used to be fortunate throughout that interval.”

Sutton-born Draper reached the third spherical at Flushing Meadows final yr on his first journey to New York for the ultimate Grand Slam occasion of the yr, earlier than he was pressured to retire when 2-1 right down to Karen Khachanov.

Prior to that, he confirmed his true potential with a straight-sets victory over the No.6 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. And it will take a monumental effort to drag off one other top-10 victory at this yr's event, with Draper cautious of how far he has fallen down the rankings.