- Jack Draper reached the US Open semi-final but lost to Jannik Sinner
- The 22-year-old has hardly had any rest but wants to play the Davis Cup
- Great Britain will face Finland, Argentina and Canada this week.
The tennis hamster wheel never stops turning, and the next decision Jack Draper will have to make after his US Open heroics is whether to represent his country in the Davis Cup this week.
It would be a homecoming of sorts, a chance for British fans in Manchester to congratulate him on his semi-final finish, but there is uncertainty over whether Draper will compete at the AO Arena.
The 22-year-old returned to the UK on Saturday and will make a decision in the next day or two. He told us after his loss to Jannik Sinner that he was “really unwell” but was looking forward to playing.
“The Davis Cup is a very important thing for me. I never really understood it until I played it for the first time,” she said. “When we were going to Colombia (last February), I was wondering if I should go or not. But I went and I saw how important it is for everyone, how important it is to be there representing your country. So even though the tennis calendar is packed and relentless, I’ve barely had a day off since the beginning of the year, I want to be there, I want to compete for my country.
“I’ll talk to my team but I want to be there on Wednesday.”
Jack Draper is debating whether he will be able to play for Great Britain in the Davis Cup this week
He enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the US Open but was unable to overcome Jannik Sinner.
Draper represented Team GB at the Olympics and will be hoping to be in top form for the Davis Cup.
The format is a group stage of four nations, of which the top two will qualify for the final in Malaga in November.
A possible compromise could be for Draper to rest and miss Wednesday’s game against Finland, the weakest of the three opponents, before playing crucial games against Argentina and Canada on Friday and Sunday.
With Draper, Great Britain should have a good chance of qualifying. Without him, it would be difficult.
“We’ll have to see how he recovers and how he feels,” Davis Cup captain Leon Smith said. “Obviously we’d be absolutely delighted if he was here and ready to play.”
‘He’s the strongest individual player on the team. A top 20 player in great form. We’d love to have him here, but at the same time, you have to respect what’s just happened.
“He comes here with a lot of confidence, but he’s also going to feel the effects of a tough summer. In terms of level, he can now go out and compete against anyone in world tennis.”
