Jack Draper Talks Challenges of Being a Left-Handed Player in Tennis

PARIS—British tennis player Jack Draper, the No. 5 seed at Roland Garros, discussed the unique challenges of being a left-handed player in a predominantly right-handed sport. While many consider being a lefty an advantage, Draper revealed it has made finding practice partners unusually difficult early in his career.

“I remember being 340 in the world and getting a wild card into the Miami Open. I wrote my name down for practice, and no one wanted to hit with me,” Draper recounted during a pre-tournament press conference. “They were all just crossing out my name and putting someone else’s.”

Though Draper now enjoys a career-high ranking, he emphasized that left-handed players frequently confront the same issues. He noted fellow lefty Ben Shelton had similar experiences at the Australian Open, stating, “People get very paranoid about hitting with someone who is a lefty if they’re playing a righty.”

Currently, Draper is one of just 12 left-handers in the Top 100 ATP rankings, representing slightly over 10 percent of the elite players. Left-handed players have the potential to exploit their opponents’ weaknesses, targeting backhands and creating unexpected angles with their serves.

Interestingly, Draper explained that he is not a natural left-handed player. “My biggest strength is probably the fact that I am naturally right-handed. My backhand is a shot which I’ve always been really confident on,” he said. “I think I’ve got kind of the best of both worlds almost.”

Now, Draper has no shortage of practice partners as he prepares for his matches. He is currently riding a high following his first Masters 1000 victory at Indian Wells and a strong clay season, including a runner-up finish in Madrid and a semifinal appearance in Rome.

“I don’t care who I hit with. If I’m getting that ball in front of me, I’m able to hit, get in the groove, it doesn’t really matter,” he said. Draper is looking forward to facing another lefty, world No. 68 Mattia Bellucci, in the first round at Roland Garros.