In the first grand slam since Andy Murray ended his stellar career, Draper has stepped up into the limelight and is taking New York by storm.
His 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 win in the quarter-final against world No 10 Alex De Minaur saw him become the first British man to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows since Murray won it in 2012.
His run here has similar vibes to another British success story, three years ago, when Emma Raducanu shocked the world by lifting the women’s title without dropping a set.
It would not be considered as big a shock if Draper were to win two more matches and lift the title, but the manner of his victories to this point, where he has won 15 straight sets, is that of a man on a similar journey to Raducanu.
He has taken advantage of Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit – the Spaniard was his slated opponent in the third round before crashing out – and swept aside all to have come before him.
This story is from the September 05, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the September 05, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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