‘A man’s body’ – Draper returns to US Open transformed

If opponents had assumed Jack Draper to be a “UFC fighter” earlier this year, they might now believe the beefed-up Briton resembles a WWE wrestler.

In a recent training session, world number five Draper returned to the gym to work on the issues that had hindered his early years as a professional.

Questions remained about Draper’s viability even after he reached the US Open semi-finals last year.

The Englishman, 23, is now feeling stronger and more physically ripped after a 12-month break from his breakout Grand Slam run.

In his first-round match against Argentina’s Federico Agustin Gomez on Monday, Draper said, “I have worked incredibly hard to improve my physicality on the court.”

“I believe a lot of it comes from my genetics and my developing into a man’s body.” That took me a while, I believe.

At the French Open in June, Draper’s fourth-round opponent Alexander Bublik dubbed his physique “insane” and said it was the one who made the comparison.

The fans were aware as well when Draper revealed his bulging biceps in a sleeveless shirt at last week’s US Open mixed doubles.

Draper, who measures 6’4″ and weighs 90 kg, believes his imposing frame is required to excel in the masculine game.

The hard work put forth by Andy Murray’s team’s core pillars before joining Draper earlier this year has helped to accelerate the metamorphosis.

“I’ve started to really enjoy getting better at the]gym] aspect,” Draper said.

“Before, I didn’t really want to push myself.” I almost didn’t want to feel strong.

Since his shock, unexpected early exit at Wimbledon in July, Draper hasn’t made a competitive appearance since.

However, he has now had the opportunity to continue improving his base fitness while working out in London.

A full-body workout gizmo known as “one of the most effective and efficient ways of burning fat and calories” has been conducted during high-intensity sessions on a vertical cardio climber.

Little is the driving force behind the concept, despite Murray’s extensive time spent on the machine and his reputation as one of the best athletes on the ATP Tour during his heyday.

Draper told BBC Sport, “I’ve been making no mistakes.”

I’ve been working out a lot with leg strength, cardio, and a lot of reverse.

In the end, I’m doing the work of making sure that my body is constantly shocked and working as hard as possible to achieve the best results.

Draper was perceived as light and susceptible to giving up matches due to physical issues in his early years on the ATP Tour.

It was not viewed as a major issue, despite the fact that he had to retire in his fourth-round encounter with Carlos Alcaraz from Spain.

His pre-season work had been hampered by a hip injury, which meant he had merely gotten back on track.

In the months that followed, Draper excelled in both the clay and grass swings, winning the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells.

A reality check was provided by the surprise second-round defeat by Croat veteran Marin Cilic at Wimbledon, which also served as the catalyst for a break from the tour.

Draper halted his ATP 1, 000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati because his arm injury was still bothering him.

However, he was able to watch his favorite band Oasis at Wembley thanks to staying home and the bruised humerus, which did not prevent him from training.

After arriving in New York over a week ago, he is now trying to stop Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz from robbing the big time for the second time in a row.

Fifth seed Draper said, “I don’t want to feel like we’re letting them do it.”