JACK DRAPER was hilariously snubbed by his own MUM live on BBC radio after the biggest win of his career.
Draper, 23, clinched his maiden Masters 1000 title, beating Holger Rune in Sunday’s Indian Wells final.
The 68-minute demolition job finished just after 10pm UK time – seven hours ahead of the local time zone.
And Draper’s mum Nicky joined BBC Radio Surrey on Monday morning to talk about the momentous moment in his career, which saw the British star rise up to No7 in the world rankings.
But while she talked to the radio station, she actually declined a call from her son who was desperate to check in with his mum.
A laughing Nicky, 55, said: “He’s very good, he always calls me and we have a chat.
“In fact, I’ve just declined his call now.
“I was a little bit distracted and I saw he was calling me, I’ve just declined him.
“I guess he’s just going to bed.”
The BBC Radio Surrey presenter wondered whether they could get Jack on the line in a three-way conversation – but Nicky figured it might not have been the best idea.
She added: “I would have thought he has had a bit of a celebration tonight.
“I hope so, I hope him and his team have actually let their hair down a little bit because it’s all very focused.”
Sutton-born Draper enjoyed a stunning run in the Californian desert, seeing off Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz before crushing Rune 6-2 6-2 in front of Jack Whitehall.
It is the third title of the Brit’s career – adding to his ATP 250 Stuttgart and ATP 500 Vienna wins in 2024 – and earned him a cool £930,000 payday at the so-called ‘fifth Slam’.
Nicky flew out to New York last year for Draper’s US Open semi-final against Jannik Sinner and was gushing in her praise for her son, who appears to have put his injury and physical struggles behind him to compete with the world’s best.
He heads to the Miami Open this week just 60 points behind 24-time Grand Slam champ Novak Djokovic in fifth.
Tennis stars following in parents’ footsteps
TALK about pressure…
These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.
But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.
So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?
Draper’s mum added: “He’s worked so hard for this. He’s always been a really good player.
“But that doesn’t get you too far. You’ve got to really put in the work and do it day in, day out, and just work on all the different aspects that you need in tennis.
“Speed, fitness, agility, the mental side… all the attributes you need to succeed in tennis. Scheduling tournaments one after one and he’s doing Miami now.
“The final wasn’t straightforward, but in terms of other matches where I’ve been watching for four hours and literally been on a rollercoaster all night wondering what’s going to happen, it was fairly straightforward.”
Draper was cheered on back home by tennis-loving Princess Kate, who wrote on Instagram: “Congratulations @jackdraper. A fantastic performance. Well done.”
Read the full article here