Coco Gauff’s Ex-Coach Raves About “Mad Man” Rising British Prodigy’s Growth While Voicing One Big Concern

After facing several health challenges last year, resulting in mid-match retirements from the US Open and Mexican Open, the misery continued for Jack Draper with another disappointing walkover at the Australian Open due to a hip injury against Carlos Alcaraz. But the British No. 1 seems to be rising from the ashes. After taking some time off to recharge, the 23-year-old returned with renewed energy at the Qatar Open, breaking into the finals against Andrey Rublev. Although he didn’t win the title there, he made a statement. Now, in California, Draper has just ousted the No. 4 seed, Taylor Fritz, leaving Coco Gauff’s ex-coach applauding his resurgence.

On Wednesday, Draper pulled off his biggest win of the season at Indian Wells, taking down former champ and World No. 4 with a 7-5, 6-4 win! He won seven straight games from 4-5 in the first set to 4-0 in the second, flipping the script entirely. The Brit was on fire, winning 91% of points behind his first serve, which was simply incredible. This marked his third Top 5 win this season as well, and he’s now 3-2 against Fritz in their head-to-head.

Draper’s firepower prompted Brad Gilbert, who was Coco Gauff’s coach until September 2024, to praise the lefty on X. “Mad man Draper has improved in his movement and defense a lot very impressive for his size 😎👌👍,” Gilbert wrote.

Draper’s success was all about his dominant serving and aggressive play, which allowed him to outmaneuver Fritz and secure his first quarter-final spot at Indian Wells. However, a fan couldn’t help but voice their worry, noting that it’s “just a matter of staying healthy” for Draper. To which Gilbert responded, “1000%.”

Gilbert has been following Draper’s journey closely, from his early wins to his setbacks, previously tweeting articles about Draper’s victory over Andy Murray at the 2021 Indian Wells Open and his dramatic collapse at the 2021 Miami Open. Now, with Draper’s recent victory, Brad is excited to see him rise to the top.

Following his recent post on X, Gilbert also expressed his anticipation for Draper’s upcoming match, writing, “looking 👀 forward to 1st career matchup of 6’4″ lefty’s, Mad man Draper vs Gimme Shelton both playing top 10 ball 🎾 atm @BNPPARIBASOPEN @SharkoTennis.” This matchup promises to be a thrilling encounter between two powerful left-handed players.

As Jack overcomes his injury woes and takes the lead in the Indian Wells, he credits his coach for all the improvements.

Jack praises his “one-of-a-kind” coach for his improvement at the Indian Wells Open

Jack Draper is on a roll, and he’s got his coach James Trotman to thank for it. After reaching his first Indian Wells quarterfinal with a thrilling win over Taylor Fritz, the Brit praised Trotman as his “right-hand man” through a breakthrough year. “He’s one of a kind,” Draper said to Tennis Channel. “We have such a great relationship and a lot of respect for each other as well. It’s nice to be on the road with him and come through all these types of emotions.”

The two started working together in late 2021, and ever since, Trotman’s coaching philosophy has been instrumental in Draper’s growth. Trotman believes in understanding the player’s mindset, not just fine-tuning techniques. This approach helped Draper navigate the tough 2023 season, which was marred by injuries that sidelined him for six months.

Trotman’s thought process was clear: “Coming into last year, the only goal was to stay fit and healthy,” he said, as per the ATP website. “We were at the point where it didn’t matter how good he could be, or was going to be, our focus was to keep him fit. It’s challenging to build up trust in your body again. It’s not something that happens instantly. This has been a long journey.”

He continued, “It wasn’t just one injury, it was three or four on the back of each other,” Trotman recalled. “I thought that was enough. ‘What are we going to do here, Jack? Who are the people we’re going to put around you?’ That was the first objective. It’s okay to fail, but if we do, it’s not because we’re not trying.”

Under Trotman’s guidance, Draper has made remarkable strides, clinching two ATP titles in 2024, reaching the US Open semifinals, and rising to a career-high ranking of No. 12. Now, as he gears up to take on fellow lefty Ben Shelton on Friday, can he pull off another big win? What do you think?