Revealed: The secret to Jack Draper's remarkable physical improvement - with British No 1 winning three five-set thrillers at Australian Open

Jack Draper has put his remarkable physical improvement down to working with a breathing coach.

The British No1 has won three five-set matches in a row at this Australian Open, spending more than 12 hours on court. His latest epic was a 1am win against Aussie Aleksandar Vukic to set a Sunday date with Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round.

It is quite the turnaround for a man whose fitness, by his own admission, could not be relied upon in the early years of his career.

Asked to explain the transformation, Draper, 22, replied: ‘There's always been that question mark in my head over five-set matches: am I able to do it? From a mental side of things and physical as well, is my body going to hold up?

‘I've been putting in a lot of work. Having that time off with my hip (a niggle over Christmas), I was able to focus on working on a few different things.

‘I was working a lot with a breathing coach and trying to understand that better. I've always had problems with my sinuses. So I think that's really helping.

Jack Draper has put his physical improvement down to working with a breathing coach

The British No1, 22 (left), has won three five-set matches in a row at this Australian Open

Draper's fitness had previously proved to be a problem during the early stages of his career

‘I just think in general staying a lot calmer and just not being too uptight. I think that's helping me to go for longer.’

To briefly explain the science, nasal breathing gets air to the lungs quicker than through the mouth, meaning oxygen can in turn reach the muscles more efficiently and reduce the buildup of lactic acid. Also, nasal breathing can slow down and regulate the heart rate, calming us down; whereas panting breaths through the mouth when we are tired can increase stress. Finally, mouth breathing has been shown to make the body lose more water, leading to dehydration.

‘I had a lot of problems with my sinuses when I was younger so I breathe a lot through my mouth,’ explained Draper. ‘When you are anxious or have long points and you have to recover quickly, it's not efficient to breathe through your mouth. So I've been trying to reverse what I do and breathe through my nose a lot more.’

As Draper suggests, there is a physical and a mental side to his improvement - and breathing helps with both. Easy going and relaxed off the court, Draper can become tense and anxious in the heat of battle. During his US Open semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner last year, a combination of stress, humidity and the stomach churning effect of painkillers caused him to vomit on the court.

‘Sometimes you don't realize how uptight your body is,’ he said after the Vukic win. ‘Especially me, because I've always been someone who likes to try hard, and sometimes you just have to relax. Especially in tennis because you need to be free to let your muscles do what they need to do. So obviously if you're tense the whole time, you're not going to last too long.’

Draper will need his nose and every other fibre of his being to be at its best if he is to have a chance against Alcaraz on Sunday. Draper was not helped by the schedulers, who have placed the match on Rod Laver Arena not before 3.30pm (4.30am UK time). Draper would have preferred a night match to give him more time to recover and avoid the heat of the day - it will peak at 34 degrees in the afternoon. But Novak Djokovic will likely have requested the night slot and after 10 titles at Melbourne Park what Novak wants, Novak gets.

During Draper's US Open semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner last year, a combination of stress, humidity and the stomach churning effect of painkillers caused him to vomit on the court

The British No 1 revealed how there is both a physical and a mental side to his improvement

Alcaraz tailed off at the end of last year after winning the French Open and Wimbledon, but he looks refreshed and dangerous this year. The 21-year-old Spaniard has dropped only one set this week and, compared to Draper, has half the amount of court time in his legs.

Alcaraz is debuting a new, more fluid service motion at this Australian Open. Partly designed to reduce load and tension in his body and partly to add more accuracy, the results have been impressive.

The logic suggests that, with so many miles in his body, Draper will not have enough in the tank for a battle against the most explosive player in the world.

But one thing that Draper has proved this week is that he will fight - until his last breath.

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