British tennis player Jack Draper has spoken about the mental toll of his injury-plagued year as he prepares to return at the Lexus Eastbourne Open.
Draper, 24, has been sidelined for most of the past year by chronic arm and knee injuries. He last competed in early April at the Barcelona Open, where he retired due to knee tendinitis after a seven-month absence from a bone bruise in his left arm.
The former world No. 4 has slipped to No. 160 in the rankings. At a pre-tournament press conference he described the difficulty of watching his progress stall.
"It’s been an incredibly difficult year," Draper said. "It’s like you’re watching your decline. So it’s tough."
Draper has added Andy Murray to his team as coach for the grass-court swing. He credited Murray with helping adjust his serve mechanics and said the change has eased some injury concerns ahead of Wimbledon.
