Interview
Emotions, motivation & playing lefties – Jack Draper answers kids’ questions
Ahead of the launch of the new Dunlop FX tennis racket, the British No.1 Jack Draper caught up with Tennis Mentor Ashley Neaves and our partners at Pro:Direct to answer some burning questions from junior players.
Have you ever played Andy Murray and do you have any tips for when you play your friends?
I have played Andy Murray – I played him in Indian Wells 2023 and also played him in an exhibition in Scotland. I’ve actually trained with him many, many times here in the United Kingdom.
He’s an amazing guy and someone I’ve learnt so much from. I was just in awe of him at the start and I’m still in awe of him now. That fades off the more you get to know someone and the more they become someone that you’re going to play against.
He is a friend but if I was saying someone more my age, it’s a difficult one because you care so much about playing someone that you know.
You’ve just got to treat it like every other match. You’ve got to be as respectful as possible and know that whatever you’re feeling, they are going to be feeling too.
It’s important to not worry too much – go out and do your thing and you’re still going to be friends at the end of it.
I struggle playing against lefties and I know you’re one – do you have any tips?
I don’t like playing lefties either, I’ve got to be honest. It’s a strange dynamic when you’re used to playing against right-handed players.
I’d say one good tip when playing a lefty, and I learnt this from Andy Murray, is that the thing you struggle the most with against lefties is on your return.
So, if you’re on the deuce side you might start your position more in to the centre line so you give them less angle with their slider serves.
Psychologically you might feel that you’ve left the other side of the box open but you’re forcing them to hit a flat serve, which a lefty doesn’t naturally want to do.
How do you find motivation on days that you don’t want to train?
Ooh that is a very good question.
Up until 2023 I was someone who would crash mentally. I’d be good for three days and then two days I’d let myself slip or I wouldn’t be at my best.
It’s important to know that you aren’t always going to be motivated, but to stay motivated you have to keep your discipline and you have to know why you’re playing. Understand what your ‘why’ is.
Discipline plus consistency equals transformation and motivation. You’re going to see improvements if you’re being disciplined and it’s always tough to see if you aren’t.
That real trajectory of improvement and positivity, you've got to build upon that and that takes discipline and doing things you don't want to do.
How do you come back in a match when you’re down a lot? I’d like some tips for coming back
I think it’s important, one, to never give up – that’s the main thing.
Second of all, I don’t agree with this stuff that says you’ve always got to believe you’re going to win. You can have those thoughts that you might lose, but use that as fire and motivation.
Feel that negative energy and then put that into a positive place.
It’s part of sport and life to be in a losing position but you never give up because anything can happen.
You’re going to be dealing with a lot of emotions from your point of view but you’ve got to think how the other person is feeling. They need to close out the match, they need to beat you. Don’t be unaware of what’s going on the other side of the court.
Sometimes I really struggle with my emotions – how do you control them when you’re losing?
Emotions are part of the game.
When I was younger I was terribly behaved. I still feel like I’m a bit within myself but I’m definitely going to try and be a bit more expressive.
A lot of that is to do with my emotions – if I get too amped up then I feel more angry, so it’s important for me to know that emotions are just part of it.
(Novak) Djokovic always says in his interviews that there’s no one out there who doesn’t feel negative emotions, anger or all these things, you can look really calm but still have that on the inside.
It’s important to always try your best but know that that’s part of the sport, everyone feels that. You just have to be yourself out there.