Jack Draper insists he's ready to take up mantle as Britain's biggest tennis star following Andy Murray's retirement - as he reveals moment he realised he needed to 'get my s**t together' to fulfil his potential
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For the first time since 2006, a year in tennis will dawn without a certain Scot among the professional ranks. But somehow, as we sit in the basement of a London pub with the new British No1, we are still talking about Andy Murray. ‘It's amazing for the sport that those two are coming together’, says Jack Draper of Murray’s decision to return to the tour as Novak Djokovic’s coach. ‘It’s going to be very interesting to see that dynamic unfold.
![[But the 23-year-old insisted he has what it takes to carry the hopes of the nation on his shoulders]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/22/12/93400869-0-image-a-2_1734872368375.jpg)
‘I figured Andy would take a break and do other things but one thing I do know about him is that he loves this sport so much. ‘He’ll be an amazing coach, his tennis brain is huge. He'll find it incredibly fun and interesting to be around Djokovic, to see how one of his biggest rivals operates on a daily basis.’.
![[2024 proved to be a momentous year for Draper as he reached the semi-finals of the US Open]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/22/13/93400877-0-image-a-3_1734872434856.jpg)
For all the excitement of Murray’s return to the sport, it is Draper who will lead the British charge on court at this year’s Australian Open, which begins on January 12. Even though Murray’s powers had faded, until his retirement in August the scale of his achievements and force of personality meant he was still a lightning rod for national attention.
![[Despite the success Draper's breakthrough season also came with devastating lows]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/22/13/93400947-0-image-a-4_1734872746688.jpg)
Jack Draper has some large shoes to fill as British No 1 following the retirement of Andy Murray. But the 23-year-old insisted he has what it takes to carry the hopes of the nation on his shoulders. 2024 proved to be a momentous year for Draper as he reached the semi-finals of the US Open.
![[Draper was knocked out of the French Open in the first round by qualifier Jesper de Jong]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/22/13/93400945-0-image-a-5_1734872754965.jpg)
