Draper, the No. 15 seed, was as surprised as McEnroe after trailing home favorite Kokkinakis by two sets to one and dealing with a hip injury that threatened his participation at the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
“I didn’t play for a few weeks,” explained Draper, who is into the third round of the Australian Open for the first time. “In the off-season, I was on the sidelines, not really playing. I didn’t know if I was going to be fit to come here. I know that my tennis is improving. This match would have really helped me.
“The first match was [also] four hours,” added the Brit. “I don’t want to be out here for that long!”
Kokkinakis is no stranger to injuries or a long match himself, needing four sets to defeat Roman Safiullin after withdrawing from his home event in Adelaide due to a shoulder injury.
Still, the sentimental favorite put himself in a winning position after three sets, only for Draper to turn the tables and continue an impressive upward trajectory—having ended 2024 with a run to the US Open semifinals and a first ATP 500 title in Vienna.
