Jack Draper has long professed his admiration for Rafael Nadal, and was handed the chance to play his idol back in 2023.
It pitted the unseeded Brit against the out-of-form legend, with the latter coming out on top in a relatively routine first-round win at the Australian Open.
However, even before they had played, the Spaniard was supremely complimentary about Jack Draper and what the future held for him.
We all know how he has flourished over the past two years, despite his injury struggles, but Rafael Nadal was insistent after what little he’d seen from the youngster.
Rafael Nadal’s 2023 prediction about Jack Draper
Speaking to the press ahead of their clash, the 22-time Grand Slam champion first assessed his own uncharacteristically unpredictable level: “Without a doubt. I have been losing more than usual, so that’s part of the business.
“I think I am humble enough to accept that situation and just work with what I have today. I need to build again all this momentum. I need to build again this confidence with myself with victories.
Nadal then turned his attention to Draper, adding: “It’s probably one of the toughest first rounds possible, being seeded. He’s young, powerful, growing very, very fast on the rankings, playing well.
“It’s a big challenge for me at the beginning to start the tournament. I’m here to just give myself a chance. I know he’s playing well. He has a lot of positive things, and probably a great career in front. I hope to be ready to fight for that first round and let’s see what can happen.”
Jack Draper offered a fitness update recently, as he made his return to tennis at the Davis Cup in his first match since the US Open last year.
What has Jack Draper said about Rafael Nadal in the past?
It should come as no surprise that Draper has had plenty of reciprocal praise for Nadal over the years too.
In fact, he arguably reserved his greatest adulation for the 39-year-old in 2024, when he said that ‘growing up, every kit, every new look, it was him [Nadal].’
He continued: “He was just so iconic, and obviously being a left-hander myself.
“My head says Djokovic, my heart says Rafa. But, for me, the GOAT is obviously Novak Djokovic.”