Jack Draper makes special visit before Italian Open after being left 'hurt and gutted'

comes into the Italian Open as a whole new player. The Brit is now a top-five player and has officially proven himself on the clay after finishing runner-up at the recent Masters 1000 in Madrid. But, before he headed to the Foro Italico, Draper decided to make a flying visit home to regroup and see his loved ones.

The new world No. 5 has confessed that he was left feeling "hurt and gutted" after on Sunday. But he had little time to lick his wounds, as Draper is already back in action in Rome, where he's adapting to the "relentless" calendar.

Draper broke new ground at the Caja Magica over the past couple of weeks. The British No. 1 had never reached the semi-final at any clay tournament in his young career but he produced statement performances to reach the championship match without dropping a set.

It was his second Masters 1000 final in less than two months after being crowned the Indian Wells champion. But it wasn't to be, as Draper blew a break lead in the first set and ultimately lost 7-5 3-6 6-4 while Ruud picked up the biggest title of his career.

At the time, Draper admitted Ruud had been the better player, making the right decisions in tight moments. But the 23-year-old has now explained that the defeat hit hard.

"I was hurting and gutted with the final, the way it went in the end, but overall I'm really proud of the couple of weeks I had there," Draper told .

The Brit has less than a week between his Madrid Open final and his opening match in Rome, getting a bye through to the second round as one of the top seeds.

Before heading to the Foro Italico, he carved out time to jet home and have some much-needed downtime.

Draper added: "These events, they are tough, they are gruelling, they are long. But that's tennis, it is relentless and I feel like mentally I'm adapting to that and I feel good.

"I went home for a day or so, caught up with my grandparents, saw my dog, my mum - just tried to get a bit of normality back because being in the tennis bubble is very consuming."

Draper now seems ready to get going in Italy, where he has never been beyond the second round.

With Jannik Sinner returning from a ban, Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury, and Novak Djokovic out of form, the Brit is one of the main contenders in both Rome and at the upcoming French Open.

"I'm confident that I'm playing some really good tennis, on any surface, any conditions, and I think that if I do all the right things I'm going to be a tough guy to beat," he said of his chances at both tournaments.