When a tennis player opts for a “fresh start,” it might relate to trying to end a losing streak or coming back from an injury. 

In Jack Draper’s case, it is the latter. 

And just what did the reigning champion in Tennis Paradise happen to do to mark that fresh start? He got a buzz cut. 

“I have just been out for a long period of time,” said Draper as he spoke with reporters on Tuesday. “Eight months is difficult. Especially in an individual sport, you become quite isolated. There is a lot of difficult moments, and when you come out of that and you start to feel better within yourself, yeah, just fancied a fresh start.

“Not sure if it's my best haircut or my best fashion choice, but something different I think is always good. I think I'll return to it again, but maybe I'll let it grow for now.”

Draper last year became the second British men’s winner in five editions — following Cam Norrie in the 2021 fall edition. 

He beat Holger Rune in the final after toppling another player known for audacious haircuts, Carlos Alcaraz, in a roller-coaster of a semifinal. 

But as Draper suggested, that is in the rearview mirror given his health issues. 

A left arm injury — he is a lefty — meant that Draper only played one match after Wimbledon. As a result, he dropped outside the top 10. 

Deciding to skip the Australian Open, he returned in the Davis Cup in February and played his first ATP tournament of the season in Dubai, making the second round. 

Injuries are nothing new for the 24-year-old, who has also been hampered by shoulder and hip issues. 

“I haven't had the sort of injury where I have not been able to be on court at all,” said Draper, now ranked 14th. “I have been able to practice, been able to still get the reps in over a long period of time. 

“I just haven't been able to get to the point where I'm able to play at the highest intensity I want and go back-to-back as I've wanted and as I want to do on the tour to make it again to be a top player.

“I don't have any fear around my arm. I know that I've got great people around me. I've got good experience of it now, and so I just want to make sure that I'm doing all the right things to be able to just go week after week and stay on the tour.”

Given his lack of matches, repeating in Indian Wells could be tough for Draper, as he acknowledged himself. But that is the goal. 

“I feel like I wouldn't be here, wouldn't be in the tournament if I didn't feel like I could go all the way again,” said Draper. 

“That was probably the primary reason I didn't go out to Australia, just purely because if I'm going to enter a tournament, I'm going to be in the event, I want to feel like I can be physically ready to not just take part but to go all the way, because I believe in my tennis so much that when I get out there, I know that I can play some great stuff.”