Andy Roddick acknowledges Jack Draper has shown noticeable improvements lately but warns the Briton that he "cannot skip steps" andmust keep working hard, especially in the physical department because withstanding a deep and demanding Grand Slam run is probably the next thing he needs to further solidify his case as being the real deal.
It is not a secret that the Briton often struggled with his fitness and injuries early in his career, which compromised his results and led to criticism from British media. But so far in 2025, the 23-year-old has been playing the tennis of his life and he recently became a Masters champion in Indian Wells and also secured breaking into the top-10 for the first time in his career with that run.
Since Draper's run to the Indian Wells title was nothing short of impressive since he beat the likes of Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, some instantly started declaring him a new top player.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a column for Betway, Roddick mentioned that the new world No. 7 improved his fitness, backhand and in "a lot of other areas."
Roddick to Draper: Don't skip steps
"I love Drapers process and I love the way hes working, but I dont like to skip steps so I wouldnt say that hes definitely proven himself as a top player. If Im him, Im going, 'OK, Ive proven I can beat everyone in the world. Ive beaten Alcaraz in a tournament that he loves, Ive made the semis of a major,'" the American tennis legend added.
Roddick then brought up his own case and how enduring back-to-back grueling five-setters at the 2003 Australian Open made him feel confident in his body and set him up well for his 2003 US Open win.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Believing in your body and knowing that it can stay there, and youre not having to compromise decision-making to shorten points, thats a big deal. You cant force belief, but Ive got to think its starting to come in at a pretty accelerated rate for Draper. In Australia this year, getting through those five-setters when he wasnt even playing his best shows his body can withstand the wear and tear of three-out-of-five, which maybe we didnt know before," the 2003 US Open winner noted.
Going into the clay season, Roddick also said that he is interested in seeing how Draper does there.
