"I had to make that call" - Jack Draper discloses why he cancelled training session with Carlos Alcaraz ahead of 2025 Australian Open

Rising British star Jack Draper was forced to pull out of his practice session with former World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, with the 2025 Australian Open only a few weeks away.

Draper is coming off an impressive 2024 season, where he defeated Alcaraz at Queen's during the summer. Both men have faced each other three times on the ATP Tour, with Alcaraz holding a 2-1 lead in career meetings between the duo.

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Injury played a role in Draper's decision to cancel their training session

The British No.1 was slated to spend a week training with Alcaraz in Spain this December, as both men increase their preparations ahead of the 2025 Australian Open in January. However, Draper revealed a hip injury has forced him to change plans.

“I’ve been working incredibly hard the last couple of weeks to get myself to hopefully improve for next year," said Draper in an interview with BBC Sport. "I did have a little bit of a niggle in my hip area and in terms of going away to Spain and training at that level of intensity with Carlos I had to make that call because it’s not fair on him if I go and I am not 100%.
"It was something that we were really excited about, and something me and [his coach] James [Trotman] had been talking about for a while. To try to go out and hit with the best players in the world and get that exposure to the highest level possible on a regular basis to get prepared for the New Year.”

Draper is still scheduled to represent Britain at the United Cup at the end of the month, before competing at Sydney and then the Australian Open.