Jack Draper has 'secret big weapon' Brit is ready to unleash at Wimbledon

Jack Draper wants the Wimbledon crowd to join his armoury of "big weapons" as he leads the home challenge at the grasscourt Grand Slam. The strapping 6ft 4 star has a huge left-handed serve and forehand which have lifted him up to world No.4.

And the British No.1, who has worked tirelessly on his fitness, has added a breathing coach to his support team to help cope with his anxiety. Now the US Open semi-finalist needs the extra push of local support to mount his first serious challenge at his home Major.

Double champion Andy Murray learned to use the pressure of expectation to his advantage as he won two Wimbledon titles. And Draper is ready to give more of himself - including sharing his celebrations with a packed Centre Court - to get back support in SW19.

"The home support that I'm going to have is going to be amazing," he said. "I've always been someone who's not too over the top with things but it's definitely a great opportunity here at Wimbledon, and a great chance to hopefully show the British public what I'm able to do on a tennis court, and the type of personality I am.

"I think I've always been, obviously, quite an intense player, so I'm always thinking about myself, but I think at Wimbledon, especially, it's a great chance to get the crowd involved, and that's a real asset against these players.

"The other thing as well, in the past, I wasn't that fit. So I couldn't be exerting energy in between points. I couldn't be showing lots of passion like I would want to. I'm definitely starting to utilise that more, and I definitely feel more of that's coming out of me as I've got more energy to keep on going."

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Draper has beaten both top two seeds, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, on the grass at Queen's Club. But he has yet to get beyond the second round at Wimbledon in his three previous appearances before taking on Argentine world No.38 Sebastian Baez in the first round on Tuesday.

"I think grass is a surface that really suits my game," he said. "It suits my weapons. I think I'm still learning how to be most effective on this surface."

Draper is big on learning - he has asked Murray for advice - and is now sharing his knowledge about the hard yards needed to arrive at the top of the sport.

Teenage wildcard Hannah Klugman will make her Wimbledon debut against Leylah Fernandez on Monday after seeking his guidance last year.

"I think people know the work I've been through, the adversity I've gone through with injuries, the type of person I am where I'm always wanting to progress," Draper said. "I'm always wanting to understand better on how I can be better as a player.

"Last year, Hannah was struggling with a few things, and my message to her was that everyone's on their own journeys. If you are a top player, it doesn't necessarily mean that they've got it all figured out, and they're not in the state of struggle themselves. They just know how to deal with it better. People think it's just easy. You go out there and win, you feel great.

"But the challenge is there every day to perform and to be better. So my message to her was: Everyone's the same. It's just how you deal with it. So don't be afraid of the doubts and the fear and the anxiety and the struggles that come with the tennis world.

"Because even though you're feeling like it's too hard to manage now, like myself, it just takes time to understand it, to understand yourself better. And in time, that will come together and it will help you so it's a strength, not weakness."