Jack Draper feels he belongs at the highest level ahead of his US Open semi-final clash with Jannik Sinner, pointing to June's Stuttgart Open success as a turning point in his career. (More Tennis News)
Draper will face Sinner for a place in the final of 2024's final grand slam on Friday, having crushed Alex de Minaur in straight sets in the last eight on Wednesday.
He could become the first British player to reach the men's singles final at Flushing Meadows since 2012, when Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic.
It has been a breakthrough tournament for the 22-year-old, who had never previously gone beyond the second round of a major, and he feels his maiden ATP success, which saw him beat Matteo Berrettini in the final in Germany, provided a major confidence boost.
"Winning Stuttgart was a huge moment for me," Draper told Tim Henman in an interview for Sky Sports. "I played two finals before that and both times I came up short.
"It was like I was a good enough player to do it but I just wasn't getting over the line and I think whatever level you're playing at, winning five matches and winning a tournament is an incredible achievement.
"When I won that one, it felt strange. There was a massive sigh of relief and it actually made me believe in myself a lot more.
"It made me a lot more confident in my own skin and really made me believe that by beating the players that I beat, especially to win the tournament, I felt like I belonged a lot more at the really highest level."
Draper has only dropped 36 games at the US Open thus far. In the last 40 years (since 1985), only Djokovic (27 in 2016, 32 in 2012 and 33 in 2013) and Ivan Lendl (34 in 1987) have ever reached the men's semi-finals at the US Open while losing fewer games.
"A lot of the players know my talent and know my tennis capabilities and probably see me as a dangerous player," Draper added.
"It's been important for me to show my face on the tour most weeks and show that I'm physically robust. That mentally, I'm all in, and I'm doing all the right things, and that also gains respect from the other players."
