On court, Draper’s core team consists of Trotman – whose clear and concise messages offering tactics and encouragement are picked up by a microphone in the player’s box – along with physiotherapist Will Herbert, who was with Emma Raducanu when she won the US Open in 2021, and coaches fitness Steve Kotze, who has transformed a body prone to breakdown.
Until now, former top 10 player Wayne Ferreira is also part of the coaching team. He helped him get into a more aggressive mindset, but after four months, Draper decided he only wanted to have one voice in his ear.
“He’s an incredible guy – his value as a coach, and also as a person, is enormous,” Draper said ahead of the US Open.
“But I think too much, I want to keep things as simple as possible, and difficult decisions need to be made in high-level sport.”
Two weeks later, Draper advanced to the semifinals. He appeared on the front page of Thursday’s Wall Street Journal, under the headline “Competitors Come Out of Shadows at US Open.”
Whatever happens against Jannik Sinner on Friday, Draper will be a top-20 player for the first time — and, as he predicted two years ago, it likely won’t be his peak.
“I was a very late developer. There are players who develop very early, and they are ready to do it when they are 22 or 21 years old,” he said in 2022.
“But I think I will be at the top when I am 25.”
