Jack Draper teams up with Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness of Britain’s biggest killer… with tennis star eager to honour his nan Brenda, who has battled the disease for eight years

Young British tennis star Jack Draper decided to join the fight against Alzheimer’s disease for a very personal reason – to honor the grandparents who first introduced him to the sport.

The 21-year-old left-hander, who is Britain’s brightest men’s hope, admits it has been difficult to watch the deterioration of his grandmother Brenda, who was diagnosed with the disease which is Britain’s biggest killer eight years ago.

Draper will head to Australia just after Christmas following a strong end to the season, suggesting a big 2024 is in store for him after he finally recovered from a string of injuries this year.

This week he took a break from preparations to discuss how the disease has affected his family and why he decided to become an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Society.

“Tennis comes from my grandmother. She was a tennis coach when she was younger, and I was always very lucky in my family because it seemed like everyone could hit a tennis ball,” he said.

Jack Draper (left) tries to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in honor of his nanny Brenda (right)

The British tennis star’s family has been personally affected by the devastating impact of the disease.

“Me and my brother played with her when we were little and she was always our biggest fan, along with my grandfather.

“She contracted the disease in 2015 and its incidence has been steadily decreasing since then.

“My grandfather did an incredible job of making sure she almost survived. It’s a full-time job and he’s essentially her caregiver.

“It’s a difficult illness because you work your whole life and instead of enjoying the rest of your life, you have to take care of this person, which is not what you expect from them.” It was definitely very difficult for all of us.

“It’s not easy to see the person you love, your grandmother, fade away a little. I see them daily or weekly when I’m around.

“It doesn’t mean that sometimes you don’t see your grandparents for months. They have always been very close to me.

“When I was much younger, she would come and watch me play and give me advice: ‘Toss the ball.’ “Use your legs more.” My grandfather says now I’ve gotten to the point where I watch on TV and see me playing against great players and she’s staring at the wall, and it’s hard.

“You can’t control it because there’s no real cure for it yet. You watch it unfold. It definitely had a big impact on my mom. But I think over time you will accept the fact that it is what it is.”

Draper shared a series of photos from his childhood with his grandparents.

Draper is currently ranked 61st, but is expected to move significantly higher next year, assuming he is no longer held back by physical issues.

He admitted that to realize his potential, he would have to be selfish, but he wanted to temper that by helping a cause close to his heart.

“You are always very self-centered. I believe that as an athlete who is mentally challenged, you don’t help other people. It’s nice to be able to use the platform to help organizations or charities, I think that’s really important.”

Next week he will take part in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown at London’s Excel Arena.

The busy schedule means he will travel to Australia shortly after Christmas and plans to play the Adelaide Open before heading to Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the season.