At the Challenger event in Bergamo last October, Draper had just crept back inside the world’s top 100 – an important marker on the professional tours and the gateway for direct entry into the Grand Slam events.

He was lamenting the “brutal” nature of a sport where he had started living up to his potential only to suffer another setback with a shoulder injury.

“I was 40 in the world, I got injured and my ranking completely dropped. I was back playing Challengers and I felt angry,” said Draper.

“But I knew if I could get my body and my mind in a good place, my tennis is good enough to compete with the best players in the world.”

This year, he has demonstrated that by:

“It’s been a long year with lots of ups and downs,” said Draper.

“But winning my first title, then the US Open, have been huge in really believing that I belong.

“It’s been a snowball effect since then.”