Britain’s Jack Draper has advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, following a commanding victory over Australia’s Alex de Minaur. The 22-year-old Draper, seeded 25th, secured a straight-sets win, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2, against the 10th-seeded Australian, continuing his impressive form in New York without dropping a set.
“This is not an overnight thing for me,” the 25th seed said.
“I felt like my level today was solid, there were some glimpse of really good stuff.
“I still have some levels to go if I get pushed.”
Draper will now face world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday for a shot at his maiden Grand Slam final. Reflecting on his performance, Draper emphasized that he still has more to offer: “This is not an overnight thing for me. I felt like my level today was solid, with some glimpses of really good stuff, but I still have some levels to go if I get pushed.”
Draper becomes the first Briton to reach the US Open men’s singles semi-finals since Andy Murray’s title-winning run in 2012. Despite battling injuries throughout 2023, Draper remained determined and now finds himself on the verge of a Grand Slam breakthrough. “I’ve believed for a long time that I’ve been putting in the work and doing the right things, and I knew my time would come,” Draper said.
As he prepares to face Sinner, Draper hopes to continue his remarkable run and achieve his long-awaited Grand Slam success.
“Last year was a real turning point for me,” Draper said.
“When I had my injury setbacks I had to watch all of these young amazing players winning amazing tournaments and playing on the biggest stages in the world.
“I felt like I just wasn’t doing enough to get to that point myself.
“I’ve believed for a long time that I’ve been putting in the work and doing the right things and I knew that my time would come.”
