Jack Draper walked into the US Open press room with a tired smile but a noticeable sense of relief. After months of battling an arm injury and questions about whether he would even make it to New York, the 23-year-old Brit found himself not only competing but winning. His match wasn’t flawless—he admitted as much—but it was the kind of gritty performance that, in his words, “gave me another chance on Thursday.”

The world No. 5 defeated a resilient Federico Agustin Gomez, an Argentine making his debut in the US Open main draw. The South American managed to take the match to four sets, but the victory ended up being without too many complica tions for Draper, with a final score of 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-2.

Draper’s journey has been defined as much by setbacks as by flashes of brilliance, and

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