Jack Draper is set for his first ATP match since the US Open at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The British star has been out of action for six months with an arm injury, but he recently returned at the Davis Cup.
A worrying Rotterdam Open withdrawal followed the Davis Cup, but Draper has now signed up for his return in Dubai.
Ahead of just his second match in six months, Draper shared a strange tradition he has before his matches.
Jack Draper shares his listening habits before matches
It would be easy to assume that tennis players listen to upbeat music ahead of their matches, but that’s not what Draper does.
Asked what he does before his matches, Draper responded: “Probably listening to birds on Spotify. It’s pretty weird.”
However, the British number one defended his decision and suggested it relaxes him before high-octane action on the court.
He added: “It’s a nice one. You should try it, it’s very therapeutic. Just not listening to music the whole time. Just get on some nice birds. It’s nice. It’s very weird.”
Draper proved himself to be one of the finest up-and-coming stars in tennis after his performances in 2025.
The British star won his maiden Masters title and earned himself an impressive career ranking high of world number four.
Who will Jack Draper play in Dubai?
The draw has been made for the Dubai Tennis Championships and Draper has been given a kind opening to his second competitive match back.
Draper will play qualifier Quentin Halys in the first round, a player he has yet to lose to in their two matches.
Should Draper find a way past the Frenchman, he will await the winner of Fabian Maroszan or Arthur Rinderknech.
The British number one has been drawn in the same section of the draw as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Bublik, and Andrey Rublev.
Despite missing six months of action, Draper is the fourth-best-ranked player at the ATP 500 tournament.
Dubai Tennis Championships seeds
- Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Alexander Bublik
- Daniil Medvedev
- Jack Draper
- Andrey Rublev
- Jakub Menšík
- Karen Khachanov
- Jiří Lehečka
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