For evidence that Jack Draper has hit the big time, one only had to note the presence in his box of the world’s most famous bob.
Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Andy Murray: Anna Wintour only watches the best and the editor-in-chief of Vogue was sat next to Draper’s brother and agent Ben to watch the British No1 annihilate Tomas Machac to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Whatever the 74-year-old made of Draper’s fuchsia kit with the oversized top – or, indeed, the Scarface t-shirt he was pictured wearing yesterday morning – she cannot fail to have been impressed by his tennis.
At the age of just 22, Draper is the first British man to make the last eight of the US Open since Andy Murray in 2016. The last of either gender to do so was Emma Raducanu in 2021, and we all know what happened there.
Could Draper possibly do the same? The absence of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz from the draw supports that thrilling possibility but Draper’s next opponent – he was awaiting the winner of last night’s all-Aussie clash between Jordan Thompson and Alex de Minaur – will be far less obliging than Machac, who was startlingly poor.
British No 1 Jack Draper reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final in impressive fashion
Draper demolished Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac (right) without dropping a set at US Open
Editor-in-chief of Vogue Anna Wintour (centre) was in attendance to watch Draper
Both men came into this match without having dropped a set, knowing this was a huge chance to break uncharted ground. With opportunity comes pressure and the sense going in was that whoever shouldered that weight better would prevail.
Up until 2-3 in the first set, that question remained unanswered. Just as he did in his third-round win against Botic van de Zandschulp, Draper started off cold on his serve. On the first point of that sixth game, Machac had an easy ball to dispatch, and, with Draper stranded at the net, he blasted the ball straight at his opponent, hitting him on the shoulder.
Did that spark something in Draper? Who knows but he responded with three aces in succession.
In the next game the cracks in Machac’s appeared, revealing a man riddled with nerves in the biggest match of his life. The 23-year-old hit four unforced errors in a row, including a gimme smash at the net, and never recovered.
Draper rampaged through the rest of the match as Machac utterly collapsed. An analysis of seven double faults, 23 winners and 38 unforced errors was never going to cut it against a man in Draper’s form.
The last times we played were a real battle,’ said Draper, who lost all three previous meetings. ‘He was a little bit off his best today but I had to stay strong. I lost here in the same round last year so it was nice to come back and do better.
‘I just need to keep going, I love playing here in new York, I love playing on these big stages.’
Draper has made a concerted effort this year to transition from his natural, grinding style – in the mould of Murray – into a more high-octane game, powered by high 6ft 4in frame and big lefty serve.
The process of transition has not been easy. He was all over the place at the French Open. At Wimbledon he looked a little gung-ho at times but here in New York the two sides to his game are operating in harmony.
When Machac was spraying the ball liberally around the Louis Armstrong court – Flushing Meadows’ secondary arena – Draper dug in and let him miss, using the scrappy instincts he learned as a child when he was among the smallest in his age group.
Then on the few occasions when he was in difficulty, Draper upped power and upped the ante. He saved six out of six break points, often with his banker play pattern of a wide serve from the advantage court then a volley into the open court.
Mahac appeared to be a man riddled with nerves in the biggest match of his life
‘In those moments I had to be brave and up my intensity. I was able to produce some clinical moments when I needed to.
‘He was standing quite far back on the return,’ said Draper, explaining his rational for bringing out the serve-volley in the big moments. ‘Louis Armstrong is a lot more lively than the other courts, there was also a shadow so I knew at one side of the court it was more difficult to return.’
The fact that Draper is capable of such cool analysis in the heat of battle shows how emotionally stable and mentally present he has been this fortnight.
If we are to nitpick, his first-serve percentage was lower than he would like at 47 and that will need to improve if he is to push even further into this draw.
The fact is Draper has barely been tested thus far but that is as much down to his excellence as the benevolence of his draw – he is yet to face a fellow seed.
Draper has barely been tested thus far but that is as much down to his excellence
His most impressive statistic is that of the 21 break points he has faced in the tournament he has saved 20, the best record of anyone in the tournament.
The last British man to reach the quarters here without dropping a set was another big-serving leftie – Greg Rusedski, who made the 1997 final.
Draper will hope to match that achievement – perhaps even go one better.
