Draper fell unwell soon following his first-round triumph at Melbourne Park last year, which he later attributed to the “psychological stress” of the circumstance. He struggled with the similar problem in his first major semi-final at the US Open, vomiting three times on court before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. “This year, I’ve really tried to do different things.”
“I am from a nation where we spend a lot of time inside because it’s chilly. Coming into a tournament like this, when it’s extremely hot, we don’t get much exposure. “I’ve done a lot of heat training, and I feel terrific. I’ve been practicing on several breathing techniques. “I am a young player. I’m still trying to understand I operate best in all areas.
The 23-year-old’s preparation for the Australian Open has been hampered, with a hip injury forcing him to miss the United Cup and postpone a training camp with four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Draper stated that he had tried to adjust to the heat by utilizing saunas and “bikes in hot bubbles” in addition to arriving in Australia two and a half weeks before the Grand Slam competition began. “It’s not just the tennis, it’s a big mental game as well and it’s how we recover after points and deal with stress in general, whether that be the tennis or the conditions,” Draper told the crowd.
“I think my prep for the heat this year has been a lot better than previous years.”Draper, who is seeded 15th at Melbourne Park, has been practising alongside world number one Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic before his first-round match against Argentina’s Mariano Navone on Monday.”
They just bring such a high quality to the practice court It’s really great to be able to spar with that kind of level of intensity and work ethic,” Draper added.