Jack Draper has vowed to lean on Andy Murray for advice once the veteran tennis star has retired. Murray is widely expected to bow out of the sport later this year after a glittering career.
Related articles
Rising British star Draper hit a career-high of No. 35 in the ATP’s latest rankings that were released on Monday. The 22-year-old has been hovering above the top 30 for some time without breaking in.
And he hopes to seek lessons from former World No. 1 Murray in order to climb the rankings. Murray, who returned from an ankle ligament injury in Bordeaux last week, does not plan on playing much beyond the summer.
“When he has stopped I will be contacting him a lot more, asking him for opinions on certain things, asking him what he has tried and if it has worked for him,” insisted Draper.
“I am definitely going to lean on Andy a lot and I am sure he will want to help me because he has always been very supportive of me. I think when he stops he will want to help more because he is not so focused on his own things.”
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Murray will walk away from tennis with three Grand Slam titles, including Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. Draper says he feels the ‘responsibility’ of following the British sporting icon.
He continued: “Andy has done so much for British tennis and so much for the sport in general, for me he is one of the greatest players of all time. He is going to have an unbelievable legacy and I do feel a responsibility to lead on from where he has been.”
Murray revealed in March that he was looking forward to stepping away from tennis. The 37-year-old has returned to action ahead of the French Open and Wimbledon, playing in Bordeaux and Geneva. However, he was on course for a defeat at the Geneva Open before bad weather halted his clash with Yannick Hanfmann at 7-5 4-1.
Related articles
Having been dumped out of the Miami Open two months ago, Murray said: “I wasn't thinking about all the matches I played. More that that's the last match I am going to play here, which is sad because I love it here.
“I've spent so much of my career here and I would have liked it to go on a little bit longer. This tournament is an important one for me so it was a bit more emotional leaving the court.
“I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family.”