British tennis player Jack Draper experienced a funny moment when his own mother jokingly snubbed him live on BBC radio following the biggest victory of his career.
Draper, 23, secured his first Masters 1000 title by defeating Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final on Sunday.
The 68-minute match concluded just after 10 PM UK time.
Draper`s mother, Nicky, joined BBC Radio Surrey on Monday morning to discuss this significant moment in his career, which has propelled the British player to No. 7 in the world rankings.
However, while speaking on the radio, she actually declined a call from her son, who was eager to connect with her.
Nicky, 55, laughing, said: “He`s very good, he always calls me for a chat. In fact, I just declined his call now. I was a bit distracted and saw him calling, so I declined him. I imagine he is heading to bed.”
The BBC Radio Surrey presenter wondered if they could get Jack on the line for a three-way conversation, but Nicky thought it might not be the best idea.
She added: “I would have thought he has had a bit of a celebration tonight. I hope he and his team have relaxed a bit, as they are usually very focused.”
Sutton-born Draper enjoyed a remarkable run in Indian Wells, defeating Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Carlos Alcaraz before decisively beating Rune 6-2, 6-2.
This is the third title of Draper`s career, adding to his ATP 250 Stuttgart and ATP 500 Vienna wins in 2024, and it earned him a £930,000 prize at what is sometimes called the `fifth Slam`.
Nicky had travelled to New York last year for Draper`s US Open semi-final against Jannik Sinner and praised her son, who seems to have overcome his injury and fitness issues to compete with the world`s best.
He is now heading to the Miami Open this week, just 60 points behind Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who is ranked fifth.
Draper`s mother added: “He has worked incredibly hard for this. He’s always been talented, but that’s not enough. Success requires consistent hard work, focusing on all aspects of tennis: speed, fitness, agility, mental strength, and tournament scheduling. He`s competing in Miami next.”
“The final wasn`t completely straightforward, but compared to some four-hour matches I`ve watched, wondering what would happen, it was fairly easy to watch,” she commented about the final.
Draper was congratulated back home by tennis enthusiast Princess Kate, who posted on Instagram: “Congratulations @jackdraper. A fantastic performance. Well done.”
