Jack Draper returned to centre court at the Wiener Stadthalle on Sunday for one of the biggest matches he has ever played, his first ATP 500 final. So far in Draper’s young career, some of these lofty occasions have come with overwhelming tension and nerves, leading to physical issues that have stopped him from summoning his best tennis when needed.
But after a year in which Draper has diligently worked his way towards the top of his game with incredible determination, this time he was ready. Draper clinched the biggest title of his career with a brilliant exhibition of both his potential and resilience, dominating much of his encounter with Karen Khachanov before holding off a late surge to clinch the Vienna Open with a supreme 6-4, 7-5 win.
The victory marks Draper’s second career ATP title after his maiden triumph at the Stuttgart Open on grass this year and his first ATP 500 title. The 22-year-old will rise to a career high of No 15 from his current world ranking of 18, a significant milestone that will take him into a higher seeding bracket in the many significant tournaments to come.
“To win my first ATP 500, it feels incredible. I’m incredibly happy, I’m so proud of myself, my team and the work we put in. It’s for moments like this,” he said.
Two years ago, Draper and Khachanov met in the third round of the US Open, one of the first outstanding results in the Briton’s career. Draper was striking the ball beautifully then and he put himself in position for a potential fourth round berth. But he was far from ready. As he served for a two sets to one lead, Draper tore his hamstring and he was forced to retire, one of the many times that his physical frailty halted his progress.
Draper has had to work through so many more disappointments, but has remained patient as he worked on his physicality and after reaching his first grand slam semi-final at the US Open last month, he is entering every match filled with confidence.
From the beginning in Vienna, Draper was sharp. He broke Khachanov’s serve early and served at an incredible level throughout the set, landing 79% of first serves and winning 95% of points behind them. He struck the ball spectacularly, lasering his forehand down the line with ease and rushing Khachanov’s elaborate forehand swing.
By the start of the second set, Khachanov was visibly rattled and Draper maintained his relentless aggression from inside the baseline, rolling to a 4-0 lead. Two games from victory, though, Draper’s energy dropped. As his first serve percentage and ball speed fell, his error count rose. Khachanov began to wrestle control of the neutral rallies and he reeled off five games in a row, establishing a 5-4, 15-30 lead on Draper’s serve.
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“I was playing so well and then the momentum shifted a little bit. I didn’t feel like I was too nervous and too tight, I just missed a few balls and Karen started swinging, he picked up his level,” said Draper.
As he stood on the brink of a third set, Draper gave a truly impressive demonstration of his mental fortitude and inner belief. He composed himself, produced an excellent hold and took the final three games to claim the title.
Such is the nature of this unforgiving sport, Draper will have no time to reflect on the progress he has made over the past week. He will quickly turn his sights to the final Masters 1000 event of the year on Monday in Paris and, as an unseeded player – the highest-ranked unseeded player – he will have to begin his tournament on Tuesday with a tough contest against Jiri Lehecka.
