Jack Draper is ready to "lean on" three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray a lot after the Scot hangs up his racket; you can watch Murray and Novak Djokovic in Geneva this week, exclusively live on Sky Sports Tennis
Monday 20 May 2024 11:31, UK
Rising young British tennis star Jack Draper is ready to "lean on" Andy Murray a lot after the Scot has called time on his career.
37-year-old former world No 1 Murray is in the final throes of an outstanding career, having confirmed earlier this year that he is unlikely to play beyond the summer.
Murray has already been a source of guidance and support for Draper but the 22-year-old is ready to learn from the Scot's wealth of experience.
"It is going to be much easier to tap into him when he has finished," Draper said.
"As a tennis player you don't have time to think of anything but yourself. You are always thinking about what you can do better.
"When he has stopped I will be contacting him a lot more, asking him for opinions on certain things, asking him what he has tried and if it has worked for him.
"I am definitely going to lean on Andy a lot and I am sure he will want to help me because he has always been very supportive of me.
"I think when he stops he will want to help more because he is not so focused on his own things."
Draper, who has risen to a career-high 35th in the world in the latest rankings, has shown he has the talent to challenge at the top of the game and admits he feels a responsibility to take the baton.
"Andy has done so much for British tennis and so much for the sport in general. For me, he is one of the greatest players of all time," Draper added.
"He is going to have an unbelievable legacy and I do feel a responsibility to lead on from where he has been.
"I want to achieve so much in the sport - it is not all about winning, it is about inspiring kids to play and making people pick up a racket and knowing that tennis isn't all just about playing on Centre Court Wimbledon. It can be amazing for so many people in different ways."
In the run-up to the second Grand Slam of 2024 - the French Open at Roland Garros from May 26 - you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the clay-court season.
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