- Jack Draper has revitalised his hairstyle in recent weeks and now sports a mullet
- The 21-year-old is hoping he will win new fans and express himself in Australia
- He opens his Australian Open campaign against Marcos Giron on Tuesday
Jack Draper is hoping that his streamlined new haircut will help launch him as a force at the Australian Open when he opens his campaign in Tuesday’s first round.
Britain’s leading male prospect is sporting a Mohican-cum-mullet as he prepares to take on American Marcos Giron, following his impressive run to the final of the Adelaide International at the weekend.
‘I’ve been going for this for a couple of months now,’ said Draper, 21, of his new style. ‘I went to Adelaide with it, and I was saying to Trots (coach James Trotman) that everyone’s going to be looking at me. And then [it] turns out everyone in the city had the same haircut.
‘Maybe I might get a few more fans here because of it. I like to be different and express myself. I think that’s part of tennis, right, expressing your game on the court. And I think I’m a bit different in that aspect.’
Jack Draper is hoping his bold new haircut will help him express himself and win fans
The 21-year-old reached the final of the Adelaide International, where he lost to Jiri Lehecka
Draper previously had a thicker hairstyle and said of his new look: ‘Some people might say it’s atrocious. But I’d say it’s bold, isn’t it?’
Asked how he might describe his shock of hair he replied: ‘Some people might say it’s atrocious. But I’d say it’s bold, isn’t it? I saw a barber last week in Adelaide. I went to a Turkish barbers here and you know they’ll do the job all right.’
Draper will start as favourite against the world number 66 from California after what was a gruelling but rewarding first tournament of his season, which saw him narrowly lose the final to Czech Jiri Lehecka.
‘I’m confident, I’ve played a lot of tennis, a lot of matches,’ he said. ‘I suppose I haven’t had a week off or anything. I’ve been kind of looking after my recovery and stuff. I had a day off yesterday, trained a bit today and I’m as ready as I can be for this Slam.
Marcos Giron awaits Draper in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday
‘Honestly I feel really good about my tennis and about my body and my mental side of things and where I’m at. So I’m really excited to get started here.’
