'a Man's Body' - Draper Returns To Us Open Transformed

If opponents thought Jack Draper looked for illustration a 'UFC fighter' earlier this year, they mightiness deliberation nan beefed-up Briton resembles a WWE wrestler now.

World number 5 Draper deed nan gym successful a caller training block, continuing his activity to lick nan beingness issues which hampered his early days arsenic a professional.

Even erstwhile Draper reached nan US Open semi-finals past year, questions still remained complete his durability.

Twelve months on, nan 23-year-old Englishman has returned to nan segment of his breakout Grand Slam tally emotion stronger - and looking notably ripped.

"I person worked incredibly difficult to amended my physicality connected nan court," said Draper, who plays Argentina's Federico Agustin Gomez connected Monday successful his first-round match.

"I deliberation portion of it is my genetics and increasing into a spot much of a man's body. I deliberation that took maine a agelong time."

Draper's translator has not gone unnoticed.

At nan French Open successful June, his fourth-round force Alexander Bublik was nan 1 responsible for nan UFC comparison - calling Draper's physique "insane".

The wolf-whistles erstwhile Draper revealed his bulging biceps successful a sleeveless garment astatine nan US Open mixed doubles past week showed nan fans are aware, too.

Standing 6ft 4in and weighing 90kg, Draper has developed an imposing framework which he believes is basal to compete astatine nan apical of nan men's game.

The metamorphosis has been accelerated by nan difficult graft demanded by fittingness trainer Matt Little and physio Shane Annun - who were halfway pillars of Andy Murray's squad earlier joining Draper earlier this year.

"I person started to really bask improving successful nan [gym] aspect," Draper said.

"Before I didn't really want to push myself. I didn't really want to consciousness beardown almost.

"But I consciousness awesome successful myself now and I understand nan benefits it has connected nan lucifer tribunal and connected these large stages, arsenic well."

Draper arrived astatine nan US Open without a competitory quality nether his loop since a daze early exit astatine Wimbledon successful July.

But nan clip disconnected tribunal has allowed him to proceed building up his guidelines fittingness during a training artifact successful London.

There person been high-intensity sessions connected a vertical cardio climber - a full-body workout gizmo which developers opportunity is "one of nan astir effective and businesslike ways of burning fat and calories".

Little is nan driving unit down nan idea, having seen Murray - known arsenic 1 of nan fittest athletes connected nan ATP Tour successful his heyday - reap nan rewards from tons of clip connected nan machine.

"I've been leaving nary chromatic unturned," Draper told BBC Sport.

"I've been doing a batch of limb strength, a batch of cardio activity and a batch of versa-climber.

"Ultimately, I'm doing worldly wherever you're shocking your assemblage each nan clip and moving it arsenic difficult arsenic imaginable to get nan champion gains."

In his early days connected nan ATP Tour, Draper was seen arsenic lightweight and prone to quitting matches because of beingness problems.

But Draper demonstrated he was a different beast during nan Australian Open successful January, outlasting 3 successive opponents successful gruelling five-set matches.

Although he did person to discontinue successful his fourth-round lucifer against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, it was not seen arsenic a awesome concern.

A hep wounded had disrupted his pre-season activity and meant nan deficiency of clip connected nan tribunal had simply caught up pinch him.

Draper played a batch successful nan months which followed, winning nan biggest title of his profession astatine Indian Wells earlier beardown runs successful nan clay and writer swings.

The astonishment second-round conclusion by Croat seasoned Marin Cilic astatine Wimbledon provided a reality cheque - and nan catalyst for a spell disconnected tour.

With an limb wounded continuing to fuss him, Draper pulled retired of ATP 1,000 events successful Toronto and Cincinnati.

But nan bruised humerus did not extremity him training - and staying location meant he was capable to spot his favourite set Oasis astatine Wembley.

Now, having arrived successful New York complete a week ago, it is backmost to business arsenic he tries to extremity Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz cleaning up nan awesome titles for nan 2nd consecutive season.

"I don't want to consciousness for illustration we're conscionable letting them do it," 5th seed Draper said.

"I want to support connected going aft them, support connected improving, and hopefully soon beryllium competing pinch them."