Jack Draper will head to Alicante to train with Carlos Alcaraz (Image: Getty)
is set to begin his pre-season training block with in tow.
The world No. 15 with the four-time Major winner after being
But Draper won’t be the only one hitting with Alcaraz at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, as one of their rivals is set to gatecrash the party.
Last month, it emerged that Draper was planning to spend four weeks training at the National Tennis Centre in London before flying to Spain to work with Alcaraz at the Spaniard’s coach’s academy.
But world No. 3 Alcaraz has been busy during the off-season, playing exhibition matches in New York and Charlotte.
The 21-year-old is now back home in Spain and, according to , he started his pre-season training on Monday with physical work.
He won’t return to the tennis court until Thursday and is set to be joined by both Draper and Flavio Cobolli, the world No. 32 who also trained with Alcaraz last year.
Jack Draper has often struggled playing in hot conditions (Image: Getty)
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After scheduling their practice week with Alcaraz, Draper’s coach James Trotman told : “It’s incredibly important to spend time with the best players, experience that on a daily basis. We’re looking forward to it.”
The decision to head to Alicante comes after Draper was told to stop training in the UK. Andy Roddick said Draper needed to .
Mark Petchey went a step further, to a “hot, humid place.” The 22-year-old has often struggled with intense conditions on the court.
He threw up after his five-set win at the Australian Open in January and sprayed vomit on the court during his US Open semi-final in September.
At the Olympics, Draper grappled with the heat and . “I mean it was tough conditions, there’s no doubt about it, I need to play more in this sort of heat,” he added.
The Brit still enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning his first two titles in Stuttgart and Vienna, and reaching a career-high of No. 15. He also beat Alcaraz at the Queen’s Club in June.
World No. 3 Alcaraz will be keen to get a better insight into Draper’s game when they practice together in Alicante. The pair already have a close relationship, with the Spaniard reaching out to his rival during difficult periods.
“I was actually speaking to back in Miami after he’d had to pull out of the tournament there having injured himself in Indian Wells,” Laura Robson said last year.
“He was getting texts from Carlos saying, ‘Let me know if you need anything. Reach out if you want to have a chat about how you’re feeling, about having so many injuries on and off’.”