"Hard to achieve longevity" - Jack Draper laments 'mentally & physically challenging' ATP Tour schedule after quick shift from US Open to Davis Cup

Jack Draper did not mince words while giving his take on the jam-packed ATP schedule. The Brit No. 1 is currently competing at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, a week after his landmark run to the semifinals at the 2024 US Open.

Draper is enjoying the best season of his young career. The 22-year-old recently reached his maiden Grand Slam semifinals at the 2024 US Open, losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, and rose to his highest-ever career ranking of World No. 20.

Without taking a break, the Englishman immediately traveled to Manchester to represent his nation at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. The young Brit unfortunately lost to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo in the first round by a score of 7-6 (4), 7-5 on September 13.

After his match, Draper admitted that playing the Davis Cup without proper rest after the US Open campaign was not ideal for him. He was also dissatisfied with the scheduling of the 2024 ATP Tour, calling it a "mental calendar" that will hinder many players in his generation from having long, prosperous careers.

"There's no doubt it's a quick turnaround, I think a lot of people in my position would have not come this week. It's a mental calendar," Draper said. It's my opinion that it's going to be very hard for players of my age to achieve longevity any more," Draper said.

The 22-year-old has played 49 matches so far this year. While he viewed his consistent presence on the 2024 ATP Tour as a positive development, the Brit acknowledged that it is challenging to keep up with the ATP schedule, especially when a player aims to remain "injury-free."

"If you look at how many tournaments I've played this year, it's hopefully 25, 26 for the first time. That's a big positive in itself - this is my first proper year on tour. It's definitely tough, but my team want the best for me, they want me to stay injury-free, to look after my body and mind," he continued.

"Since Miami [in March] I just haven't had any time. We went straight into the clay, then straight on to the grass, straight to the Olympics, straight out to Montreal, Cincinnati, training week, US Open, here, then it's Asia, then it's indoor season," he added.

Draper also criticized new changes introduced to the ATP Tour, such as the extension of Masters 1000 tournaments to ten days, for limiting the adequate time required for players to recover both physically and mentally.

"I look at the sort of schedule, and I know players have done it for years, but the way the ATP have changed to two weeks with the Masters and these types of things, it's giving us no time any more. There's literally no break. It's really mentally and physically challenging," he explained.

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Jack Draper joins Iga Swiatek in slamming over-scheduling in tennis

Iga Swiatek (Source: Getty)

Before Jack Draper called out the ATP Tour for not providing players with sufficient time off, WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek raised similar concerns about the WTA Tour. Before her campaign at the 2024 Cincinnati Open in mid-August, Swiatek called tennis the "toughest" sport, citing the demanding nature of tournament schedules.

The Pole noted that, unlike tennis, other sports offer their players as many as four months off. Swiatek opined that the tennis schedule is getting more challenging to keep up with every year, forcing players to be extra cautious.

“Our calendar is crazy, probably the toughest one in sports. There are sports that are really tough because, physically, you might get beat up. But most sports have four months off, sometimes even six. Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting more crazy every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely,” she said.

The 23-year-old recently withdrew from the WTA 500 Korea Open in Seoul due to fatigue. Her last appearance on the tour came at the US Open, where she lost in the quarterfinals. As for Draper, he is set to play another singles match at the Davis Cup, facing Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada on September 15.