"I've watched her go through not wanting to get in the shower" - Emotional Jack Draper shares grandmother's battle with Alzheimer's

Jack Draper is one of the most promising young players in tennis with a breakout performance at the 2024 US Open. Draper is destined for more greatness on the courts, but away from the courts, he's a pretty simple man with concerns like those of ordinary people.

One of the major ones in the past year and more has been his grandmother, who has been battling Alzheimer's. It's a non-curable disease with a progressive pattern that causes a person to lose more and more of their cognitive abilities. The diagnosis was a tough blow for the Draper family, especially Jack, who is very close to his grandmother.

He's opened up about it in the past, pledging support to organizations such as the Alzheimer's Society. In a recent talk with the Telegraph, Draper further opened up about witnessing the gradual decline of his grandmother, who has been suffering from the disease since 2015. He said:

“You watch that person you love not know who you are and not know what’s going on. There’s many stages to Alzheimer’s. At first, you’re not thinking properly, and you lose your memory. Then the worst stage is when you’re physically capable, but you’re angry. There’s many different stages that I’ve watched her go through, like not wanting to get in the shower."

Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that puts a lot of pressure on people around the person who is suffering from it. Draper also saluted his grandfather, who has been the primary caretaker of his grandmother in the past few years:

"And so carers like my grandad, he’s an absolute hero to keep on doing what he’s doing, just putting one foot in front of the other.”

He also recently took part in a memory walk organized by the Alzheimer's Society, which he has supported for a while now.

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Jack Draper pledges to support finding a cure for Alzheimer

The most devastating thing about Alzheimer's is that it's a disease that can't be cured. Even with all the advancements in medicine, some diseases simply refuse to be cured. Draper, though, hopes to see it happen during his lifetime as he pledged support to causes that search for a cure, hoping to help people avoid the heartbreaking fate his grandmother has had to endure.

"I personally know how horrendous this disease is and the impact it has on not only the person diagnosed, but also family, friends and carers. It's why I have decided to support Alzheimer's Society, as I am passionate about finding a cure so we can finally bring an end to the devastation caused by dementia," Draper told BBC Sport in December 2023.

There have been some decent breakthroughs recently and while a cure seems unlikely, medicine which slows its progress significantly could be on the horizon in the near future.