Jack Draper has returned from injury after 164 days out and has set his sights on the 2026 season to be his year.The British number one is ready to defend his title at Indian Wells after he defeated Holger Rune in the previous final.Draper suffered with relentless injuries last yearGettyHowever, if Draper fails to beat his opponent in the round of 64 it means his ranking would drop from 14 to 29 – with Cameron Norrie replacing him as the country’s top player.Last year, the Brit claimed his first Masters 1000 title in California, conquering Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, en route to the trophy.It was shaping up to be a positive season in 2025 for the 24-year-old who reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before Indian Wells.Draper followed it up with a fourth round visit at the French Open, his best career result to date.However, the Brit reached only the second round of Wimbledon, which he has never made it past in his career.He followed that with a withdrawal at the same stage of the US Open in September due to an arm injury.He had been struggling with a bruised bone in his service arm which progressively got worse.Draper decided to fully recover and miss the Australian Open in January this year.The long injury layoff was a bitter blow after reaching a career-high ranking of fourth in June. It saw him dip to world number 14.He then returned for his first competitive match 164 days later in the Davis Cup qualifiers where he beat Viktor Durasovic in straight sets.Draper’s new coach has also worked with Denis Shapovalov and Grigor DimitrovGettyDraper did return to APT Tour action prior to Indian Wells at the Dubai Tennis Championships two weeks ago.He suffered a second-round loss to Arthur Rinderknech as the Frenchman’s serve proved to be too strong for Draper.The 24-year-old begins his title defending campaign after he received a bye into the second round and will face 37-year-old Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday.Draper told Sky Sports: “This injury has definitely hardened me a fair bit.“I’ve had certain injuries in the past but when you do so well and when you get to the goal that you finally want to get to.“Being in a good position, competing for great tournaments and then something like this happens.“You definitely start to question yourself and it makes you quite sad in a way.“I always think there’s only one response to any sort of hardship or adversity and that’s to improve and be better for it.“So, I’m proud that I’m coming here in a good place. Mentally, I feel good. Physically, I’m in good shape.“I wouldn’t be back if I wasn’t, I’m just so happy to be here and hopefully I can have a great week [at the Indian Wells].”The 2025 season was another cut short for the young Brit, who has had several problems so far in his career.In 2023, Draper missed six months due to a shoulder injury which required surgery and retired from both Wimbledon and the French Open.The 2024 season was interrupted throughout the year with abdominal and hip issues.New year, new DraperHe’s not only back fit and ready this year, he is also featuring a new haircut.The world number 14 has shaved his hair to give an Alcaraz inspired look, similar to the one the Spaniard debuted in the States.Jack Draper shows off his new imageGettyDraper said: “It’s not the greatest in the world, I thought I had a bit of a better hairline than I do. But at the same time, it’s a bit of a fresh start.”Ahead of Indian Wells, he added: “I wouldn’t be here in the tournament if I didn’t feel like I could go all the way again.“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.”Ahead of his fresh start, Draper has changed his environment including a change in his coach, Jamie Delgadoas who trained Andy Murray. He has also swapped Nike for his sponsor and opted for major multi-year deals with Vuori and Asics.The 24-year-old has become a key global ambassador for both brands so they could expand more into tennis.He is also developing a signature, performance-led clothing line with the brand which allows him to have more creative control.