When the Australian Open draw was made, several matches stood out. Matteo Berrettini is playing Andy Murray in the first round and Andrey Rublev is facing Dominic Thiem.

But perhaps the biggest opportunity belongs to Jack Draper, the 21-year-old Briton who will try to upset top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal.

“It’ll be amazing to play on court with him, he’s a great champion,” Draper said. “[There are] a lot of emotions obviously when I think of playing him.”

Nadal is still very much the present, but it is clear Draper is part of the future. Already with two Top 10 wins on his resume and an appearance at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, the lefty is on the rise. The World No. 40 is not allowing his early success to get to his mind, though.

“Tennis is such a small bubble and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the winning and losing and the pressures and the challenges on a daily basis. It’s not easy sometimes,” Draper said. “I’m learning how to enjoy it a little bit more, and I think when mentally I start to learn how to enjoy the challenges, that’s when it will become really fulfilling for me.

“I’ve only been on Tour for six months. I’m still learning all the time, every day, about things, and how I can be better and more consistent at this level, mentally and physically, tennis-wise.” 

What has allowed Draper to keep that perspective? The Briton believes it has to do with humbling injuries he has dealt with early in his career, including an ankle injury he suffered in 2021.

“I think being injured a lot when I was younger, I think that gives you a lot of perspective on things. I spent a lot of time just at home, sitting there, wanting to be on court and it was always difficult knowing that I could progress when I wasn’t, I was just injured,” Draper said. “So I think that was one, just getting those experiences at a younger age.”

In 2020, Covid-19 affected all players on the Tour, suspending six months of play. In 2021, Draper demonstrated signs of his potential with two wins at Queen’s Club and a good showing at Wimbledon, where he won a set against Novak Djokovic. But the injury bug derailed his progress.

“There was a consistent theme of injuries, but I think the one that really got to me was after I played Novak at Wimbledon two years ago,” Draper said. “I was on a bit of a high, I’d just played Queen’s and done well there, and I was on the clay, and I ruptured ligaments in my ankle, so I had to spend time off the court, and I think that was one I was like, ‘Right, I need to just not focus about rankings or anything, I just need to focus on trying to stay injury-free, keeping healthy and being about the process’, which is where I’m at now and I think that’s why last year I had the season I had.”

What has helped keep Draper centered is the team around him, including coach James Trotman and his brother, former college tennis player Ben Draper. According to Trotman, his charge is “competitive to the core”, which made those difficult moments even tougher.

“Through the Covid year and through injuries and various things Jack hadn’t competed much. There was a pedigree in there. He made the final of junior Wimbledon,” Trotman said. “But if you’re injured and you’re not able to compete and you’re not able to play, it makes it difficult to actually see where your level’s going to be.”

That is what made 2022 such an important year for Draper. The lefty began the season outside the Top 250 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, but cracked the Top 50 by September.

“Sometimes I forget that last year even happened, because it seems like I had a good year and then you’ve got to do it all over again, you’ve got to go again, and that’s a real challenge in itself,” Draper said. “I’ve only been on Tour for six months, I’m still learning at this level, I’m still trying to improve, playing against guys who maybe [can] take me out on their day, like [Karen] Khachanov last week. All these lessons and experiences are great for me to become the player and the person that I want to become.”

As much attention as Draper is getting, he is still a 21-year-old with a normal life off the court. He enjoys spending time with his friends while home and likes card games.

“Usually I lose, I’ve got a good habit of losing, I think. If that’s the other skill I’ve got, it’s being terrible at cards,” he admitted.

Draper even plays pranks on those close to him. If someone on the Briton’s team gets in the elevator with him, odds are he will try to send them to the wrong floor.

“I have a lot of good friends. I have friends from school, when I was seven years old, who I keep in touch with at home, and also, I have friends in tennis. It’s a bit different, because maybe the friends outside of tennis don’t know anything about it, they don’t care, whatever,” Draper said.

“Then I’ve got friends obviously inside tennis who are going through the same journey as I am, so they understand the path of a tennis player and we can relate on that basis as well. So, I’ve got good mates.”

As many eyes are on him in the tennis world, a weekly result does not mean as much to his friends back home.

“They don’t care at all. They don’t know the scoreline. They’ve come to Wimbledon a couple of times, and they don’t know what’s going on,” Draper said. “They’ve just seen me playing players they’ve seen all the time on the news and the TV, and they think, ‘Wow, that’s so cool’, but they’re just at [university] living normally. So that is, I think, a good balance to have.”

It is safe to say those friends will be tuning in to Draper’s first-round match at Melbourne Park against Nadal, who said of the 21-year-old “I know he’s playing well. He has a lot of positive things, and probably a great career in front.”

Draper will hope to fast-track that inside Rod Laver Arena.

“Whatever happens, it’ll be a special occasion for me, still very young in my career, so it’s great to have these sort of experiences and exposure to playing someone like Rafa on a big court like that,” Draper said. “But I want to play really well and I want to compete hard and do the best I can.”

Soonwoo Kwon polished off a stirring tale of second-chance success on Saturday at the Adelaide International 2, where the South Korean held off Roberto Bautista Agut in an absorbing championship match to triumph at the ATP 250 event.

The South Korean edged the fourth-seeded Bautista Agut 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) in a two-hour, 43-minute epic to lift his second ATP Tour title. Only playing in the main draw as a lucky loser after losing in the final round of qualifying, he took out Tomas Machac, Pablo Carreno Busta, Mikael Ymer, Jack Draper and Bautista Agut with a series of big-hitting displays this week in South Australia.

“Since being beaten in [qualifying], I told myself I’ve got nothing to lose, and then I came all the way to the finals,” said Kwon after his victory. “And why not? I put every energy into it, and that worked.”

Kwon made a fast start to his maiden ATP Head2Head clash with Bautista Agut, breaking the Spaniard in the opening game of the match with more of the free-flowing groundstrokes that had defined his run to the final. Some solid serving ensured he faced no break points for the rest of a set that he clinched in confident fashion to the delight of his vocal supporters in the stands.

Bautista Agut returned the favour in the second set, however, sealing an early break of his own en route to forcing a decider. A high-quality deciding-set featured a series of exhilarating all-court exchanges, with two breaks of serve apiece leading to a decisive tie-break with little to choose between the two players.

It was Kwon who found something extra in the closing stages, however, as his fearsome forehand allowed him to take control of rallies at crucial moments. He reeled off four points in a row from 3/4 to claim victory in a highly entertaining championship match having struck 42 winners to Bautista Agut’s 23.

“It was a really tough match today,” said Kwon. “I don’t know, I’m just really happy to win today. It’s crazy.”

The 25-year-old Kwon is the first South Korean to win multiple ATP Tour titles, following his maiden triumph in Astana in 2021. After becoming the first lucky loser to lift a tour-level trophy since Marco Cecchinato in Budapest in 2018, Kwon rises 32 spots to No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Novak Djokovic is the leading favourite at this year’s Australian Open. The Serbian is not shying away from the pressure of standing at the doorstep of history, either.

If Djokovic claims his 10th title at Melbourne Park, he will tie Rafael Nadal for the most men’s Grand Slam singles titles in history with 22. Is that a motivating factor?

“Of course, it is. I mean, that’s why I keep on playing professional tennis, competition tennis, because I want to be the best, I want to win the biggest tournaments in the world. There is no secret about it,” Djokovic said. “It doesn’t get bigger than this. You have four Slams that historically have been the biggest events in our sport. It’s also one of the biggest reasons why I was really looking forward to come back to Australia: because of my record here. I really love playing in Rod Laver Arena, particularly night sessions. I’ve had plenty of success that hopefully can continue this year.”

Djokovic is the fourth seed, but he has been playing as well as anyone on Tour over the past several months. He captured titles in Tel-Aviv and Astana last October before claiming his sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown in Turin.

“I’m in a very good shape. I ended the year in the best possible way, and continued that form in Adelaide. I like the way I played there. I beat some really good players, especially in the last few matches of the tournament,” Djokovic said of winning the ATP 250 at the start of the season. “I like my chances. I always like my chances. I train as hard as really anybody out there. There’s a lot of youngsters now that are very hungry, that want to win. They want to take a scalp off you on the big stadium. I know that.

“Experience of being in these kind of particular circumstances helps I think to have the right approach and do things in a proper way because I know when I’m healthy and playing my best, on this court I have chances really against anybody.”

The only scare for Djokovic came in the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 1, where he hurt his hamstring during his victory against Daniil Medvedev. The Serbian recovered to defeat Sebastian Korda in a three-set final, in which he saved a championship point.

“I’ve been struggling with that a bit, to be honest, the past seven days. But it’s hopefully not the major concern. So far I’ve been able to train, compete and play points, practice sets. So that’s a positive sign,” Djokovic said of his hamstring. “Obviously, I’m being a bit more cautious. I’m not going full out on the training sessions, conserving the energy for next week. Hopefully it won’t cause an issue for me then.”

Although Djokovic will have all eyes on him in Melbourne as the tournament favourite, he is also keeping the opportunity to again etch his name in the history books in perspective.

“At this stage of my career, of course the biggest ones count the most, the biggest events, and trying to stay healthy and mentally fresh and joyful on the court,” Djokovic said. “It’s important, because at the end of the day it’s a good balance between setting up the goals and trying to achieve those goals and being professional about it, but also the other side is why are you playing tennis. I choose to play, I really love playing tennis. It brings me wonderful emotions. Sometimes not.

“It’s a great way for me to learn more about myself, to grow in life as a personality. Hopefully I’ll also bring good emotions to people that watch me play live on the court or on TV. Knowing all these things, I try to balance things out because it is a professional mission that I have, but at the same time it’s also a personal mission. I try to enjoy every single moment.”

Richard Gasquet turned back the clock with a vintage display in Saturday’s ASB Classic final to claim his first ATP Tour title since 2018. The 36-year-old Frenchman stunned second seed and former Auckland resident Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, winning the final five games of the match to become the oldest champion in the event’s 66-year history.

The former World No. 7 last raised a tour-level title more than four years ago in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The Auckland triumph, which lifted him 25 spots to No. 42 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings this week, is just the second outdoor hard court triumph of his career (Doha 2013). It is the 16th title of his decorated career.

Gasquet denied Norrie a full-circle moment at the tournament he once attended as a young fan, with the Briton thwarted in the final of the ATP 250 for a second time in five years. The defeat is his first of the new season, dropping him to 6-1 on the year.

In a matchup that pitted Gasquet’s iconic one-handed backhand against Norrie’s flat two-hander, the Frenchman proved he still has plenty of substance to go along with his style. Both men had countless opportunities to hit groundstrokes off both wings across many marathon rallies, but it was Gasquet who stood tallest down the stretch after falling behind 0-3 and 1-4 in the final set.

Against a man known for his fitness, the Frenchman was electric in his late charge as he attacked with the shotmaking flair that has defined career — but only after his dogged defending brought up those opportunities to step into the court. 

Gasquet’s victory keeps the Auckland title in French hands, after Ugo Humbert won the previous edition of the event in 2020. The tournament was not played in the past two seasons due to COVID-19.

Norrie, whose six wins lead the ATP Tour on the young season, falls to 4-8 in tour-level finals. He reached his first final in Auckland in 2019, falling to Tennys Sandgren.

More to come…

ATPTour.com looks at five Challenger Tour players to keep your eyes on during the 2023 Australian Open.

Rinky Hijikata (AUS)
The 21-year-old sets his sights on making a splash at his home Slam, where he is playing the main draw for the first time. Last season, Hijikata met Rafael Nadal in the opening round of the US Open and pushed the 22-time major champion to four sets.

In October, Hijikata won his maiden Challenger title on home soil at the Playford Challenger. The Sydney native became the youngest Australian to win a Challenger title since 2018, when the-then 19-year-old Alexei Popyrin won in Jinan, China.

Rinky Hijikata is crowned champion at the 2022 Playford Challenger. Credit: Tennis Australia

The former University of North Carolina star, who is World No. 169, has already clashed against Top-5 players such as Nadal and Daniil Medvedev at the ATP 250 event in Los Cabos, where Hijikata earned his first Tour-level victory before meeting the-then World No. 1. Should Hijikata get past qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in Melbourne, he could face third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.

Shang Juncheng (CHN)
At the Lexington Challenger, the teenager became the youngest (17 years, 6 months) player to win a Challenger title since Carlos Alcaraz at Alicante in 2020 and the youngest Chinese champion in Challenger Tour history.

The Beijing native, who became the first player born in 2005 to win a Challenger title, is one of three Chinese men in the Australian Open main draw, alongside Wu Yibing and Zhizhen Zhang. The #NextGenATP star Shang advanced through qualifying and will make his Grand Slam debut against German Oscar Otte.

‘Jerry’ Shang claims the 2022 Lexington Challenger. Credit: Lexington Challenger presented by Meridian Wealth Management

“I think overall I’m just very happy and excited about what’s coming next,” Shang said. “These three rounds I’ve given 100 per cent and I think I did very well at controlling my emotions after each round. It’s my first time playing Grand Slams, and I’m just super excited about what’s coming next in the main draw, and I’ll try my best to win.”

Yosuke Watanuki (JPN)
The 24-year-old has been one of the toughest players to beat on the Challenger Tour recently and will now get to show his talents during his Grand Slam debut. Watanuki has won 17 of his past 19 Challenger-level matches, including three final appearances. The Japanese star earned back-to-back titles in November, when he triumphed at the Kobe and Yokkaichi Challengers.

Yosuke Watanuki at the 2023 Canberra Challenger. Credit: Anastasia Kachalkova

Now at a career-high 138 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Watanuki advanced through qualifying in Australia. But it wasn’t without a test. In the second round of qualifying, the Saitama native fended off two match points against Mikhail Kukushkin to keep his hopes alive. Watanuki, who is coached by his older brother Yusuke, will meet Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the opening round.

Luca Van Assche (FRA)
The French youngster went on a late-season surge in 2022. The 18-year-old reached four Challenger finals in the latter part of the year, including at the Maia Open, where he collected his first Challenger trophy.

Luca Van Assche in action at the 2022 Maia Challenger. Credit: FPT/Sara Falcao

The 2021 Roland Garros boys’ singles champion is the youngest French player in the Top 200. Following his title in Portugal, he joined an exclusive list of French Challenger champions aged 18 and under: Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean, Gael Monfils, Corentin Moutet, and Fabrice Santoro.

Van Assche, who earned a wild card into the Australian Open, opens with a tough test against 11th seed Cameron Norrie.

Mattia Bellucci (ITA)
The Italian made a sudden impact on the Challenger Tour last season and climbed more than 500 spots in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings throughout the year.

In October, the 21-year-old won 12 consecutive matches and won back-to-back Challenger titles at the Saint-Tropez and Vilnius Challengers. Bellucci became the youngest Italian to win Challenger titles in back-to-back weeks since 19-year-old Stefano Pescosolido in 1991.

Mattia Bellucci earns his second Challenger title in Vilnius, Lithuania. Credit: Saulius Cirba

Bellucci, who ousted countrymen Francesco Passaro and Luciano Darderi in qualifying, is at a career-high 153 and will make his Grand Slam debut against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the first round at Melbourne Park.