Jack Draper’s friendship with Jannik Sinner in trouble as relationship takes turn | Tennis | Sport

Jack Draper and Jannik Sinner are both through to the second week of the French Open, and they could well enjoy their third meeting here in Paris. The pair are good friends – Sinner once taught the Brit how to cook pasta and Draper returned the favour when he became one of the first players to practice with the world No. 1 during his recent ban.

But their relationship has taken a turn and may no longer be as strong because of Draper’s status as a top player. He’s ranked inside the world’s top five after a strong start to the season, and Sinner admitted: “Things are a little bit different.”

Draper has cemented himself as one of the world’s best this season, lifting the title in Indian Wells and reaching finals in Madrid and Doha. He keeps on climbing up the rankings, cracking the world’s top 10 and then the top five.

But his rise hasn’t come as a surprise for Sinner, who enjoys a good relationship with the British No. 1 and always saw his potential.

“Well, I said, you know, he’s a kind of player who I think we all saw the potential he has or he had already couple of years ago,” the three-time Major winner said of Draper.

“He was very unfortunate because he was injured, he went through very difficult moments, he has changed a little bit his team, and I feel like now he’s in a very consistent level of mental level and everything.”

However, Draper’s breakthrough hasn’t been the best for their friendship, as Sinner explained they couldn’t spend as much time training together.

He continued: “I’m good friends with him. I’m very happy to have him as a friend, but he’s now there. Things are a little bit different.

“Of course, you know, we are very good friends off the court, but, you know, we practice a little bit less together, because we might know that we can face each other in the later stages of tournaments hopefully, because I always love to play against him.”

That hasn’t stopped the Italian from supporting his friend and rival from afar, and he’s happy to see Draper reach the top of the ranks, even if it means their bond is changing.

“He’s a huge competitor, and I’m very happy for him. I’m the first person who is so happy for him. He’s gonna make an incredible career, you know. I wish him only the best. He’s a very consistent player since last year of US Open,” he added.

“This year maybe the most consistent player we have on tour, because he won big titles, he went far in every tournament. That means that you are feeling comfortable. You know, in every tournament, in every situation, he knows how to play, he knows how to handle it.

“So, again, mentally he’s in a very good moment, and I’m very happy for him. So I wish him only the best.”

Both men put on masterclasses on Court Suzanne-Lenglen on Saturday. Playing the second match of the day, Sinner breezed past Jiri Lehecka for the loss of just three games while Draper barely broke a sweat against teenage sensation Joao Fonseca.

They’re now through to the fourth round and, if they both win their next matches, they could face off in the quarter-final – all the more reason not to spend too much time sparring with one another.