The draw has been set for Jack Draper’s return from injury next month.
In his first event since withdrawing from the US Open, Draper will feature in the UTS London Grand Final, which runs from December 5-7 at the Copper Box Arena.
Draper’s first match will be against Belgium’s David Goffin.
“I think I came back a bit too soon when I played the US Open so after that I decided to really shut it down and look after it. And now I’m building up my confidence and building up my tennis to be at full throttle again,” Draper told UTS.
British No1 and 2023 UTS London Grand Final winner Draper, seeded third, has been drawn in Group B, alongside Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud, Latin American star Francisco Cerundolo and Belgian talent Goffin.
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Jessica Pegula has high praise for Jack Draper after their mixed doubles campaign at the US Open
Last year’s UTS London Grand Final champion Alex de Minaur heads up Group A, with Andrey Rublev, Tomas Machac and Adrian Mannarino.
The UTS format means that all eight players will be in action on both December 5 and 6, with both semi-finals and the final taking place the following day.
British focus will be on Draper, who will play Goffin in his opening match on December 5 before taking on Cerundolo in the day session on the 6th, then facing Ruud later that evening.
The Londoner did not lose a match in winning the title in 2023 and has an unbeaten record in UTS play.
“It’s a chance to compete, also a chance to play the world’s best players again. I think when you have time out the game, it’s really important to sort of get on their speed again,” Draper told UTS.
“Having the opportunity to play before the coming season is important, I think, and really importantly for me, playing in front of my home crowd, playing at the UTS in London, playing at the Copper Box Arena, haven’t played there before, so I’m looking forward to that.”
He added: “I definitely think the experience of playing the UTS a couple of years ago was something that gave me a lot of confidence. You know, I know it’s not an event on the tour, but the chance to play against the world’s best players and beat them like I did then gave me a bit of a springboard to feel confident to do it in on the tour as well. So I’m looking forward to just, hopefully getting that confidence and playing against them.”
The eight players will compete for the title of 2025 UTS Grand Final champion, the unique Zeus trophy and a share of a total prize-money pot of £1,394,000.
UTS RULES
- Four quarters of eight minutes each
- Less time (15 seconds) between points
- No second serve
- Unlimited coaching from the sidelines
- Player interviews between the quarters
- Strategic use of bonus cards by players
- An iconic lightning bolt trophy… and more
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