Jack Draper reaches Australian Open fourth round following third straight five-set win

Jack Draper isn't sure if the nickname "Marathon Man" will stick. The moniker arose after he won his third consecutive five-set match at the Australian Open, this time against home hope Aleksandar Vukic.

"To be honest, I'm not really used to being called that," Draper said to the media in the early hours of Saturday morning, smiling despite his fatigue. "Usually, I'm done in two sets, but I think it's a real testament to the physical training I've done, the competitive spirit and the mental toughness. So, I'm very proud of the work so far."

Even if he doesn't embrace the title, it aptly describes his Australian Open run, as he has already spent 12 hours and 34 minutes on court across three matches. His clash with Vukic lasted almost four hours, eventually ending in a 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6(7/5), 7-6(10/8) victory in front of the Australian crowd on Margaret Court Arena. This followed Wednesday's epic encounter with Vukic's compatriot, Thanasi Kokkinakis, where Kokkinakis had a chance to win in the fourth set, but Draper fought back to ultimately win in five.

Draper, ranked No.18 in the world, was hampered by a hip injury at the end of last year, but arrived in Melbourne in excellent physical condition. Not only is his physical fitness impressive, but his mental fortitude is also strong, stemming from overcoming doubts about his ability to last in major matches. "I think there's always been a question mark in my head about five-set matches, can I really do it?" Draper said. "Physically and mentally, can my body hold up?"

"I'm not too sure. I haven't thought about it too much. I've been working hard in training. It seems that because I had some time off with the hip injury, I was able to focus on looking at some different things. I worked with a breathing coach to try and understand my breathing a bit better. I've always had sinus problems. So, I think that's really helped. Just generally staying calmer, not getting too tense... I think that's helped me last longer."

Draper's challenges don't get any easier, as he faces four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 16 on Sunday. He will have less than 48 hours to recover from his grueling match against Vukic, but the tall left-hander is not daunted. "I'll make sure I do all the recovery tomorrow and eat a lot," Draper said. "The main thing is to switch off from tennis completely, relax, and hopefully the body will recover well." "I expect to be very sore (for the Alcaraz match) but I'll give it my best again."