Jack Draper says he is "hungry" to chase down Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner following his return from an arm injury.

The British number one made his first appearance on court since the US Open first round in August on Thursday, when he beat Norway's Viktor Durasovic in Davis Cup qualifying.

Draper was fourth in the ATP rankings prior to his injury, winning the Indian Wells title last year and finishing as runner-up in the Madrid Open.

The 24-year-old missed the Australian Open, where Alcaraz became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam, but he is now focused on challenging the Spaniard.

"That was my goal anyway, and potentially that’s part of the reason why my body did break down," Draper said.

"Maybe I was trying so hard to play in the right way – to hit the ball harder, to get free points – and that just became a stress for me.

"I've learnt a lot about myself mentally and physically. I've done a lot of things that have really put me in a good place.

"For sure, those guys [Alcaraz and Sinner] are leading the sport at the moment, and I'm really hungry to get to where they are, so I'm going to do everything I can to do that."

Draper is now ranked 13th in the world, but believes he is a much stronger player now compared to before his injury last year.

"I wouldn't want any tennis player to go through this with their playing arm," he added.

"But at the same time, I've learnt many things through this period – not only personally, but from a career perspective – that are definitely going to help me move forward and be a better player.

"I do believe I'm a better player than I was in the summer, when I was winning a lot and playing great. You can only get to that point with the right mindset and by seeing this injury and lay-off as an opportunity to improve, and I feel I've done that."