British tennis player Jack Draper experienced a humorous moment when his mother accidentally declined his call during a live BBC radio interview, shortly after he achieved the most significant victory of his career.
Draper, aged 23, secured his first Masters 1000 title by defeating Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final on Sunday.
The match concluded just after 10 PM in the UK.
Draper’s mother, Nicky, joined BBC Radio Surrey on Monday morning to discuss this important milestone in her son’s career, which has propelled him to No. 7 in the global rankings.
However, during her radio appearance, she inadvertently declined a call from Jack, who was eager to connect with his mother.
Nicky, 55, laughingly recounted, “He’s very good, he always calls me for a chat. In fact, I’ve just declined his call now. I was a bit distracted when I saw he was calling, so I just declined him. I suppose he’s probably heading to bed.”
The BBC Radio Surrey presenter jokingly suggested a three-way conversation, but Nicky thought it might not be the best timing.
She further commented, “I imagine he had a bit of a celebration tonight. I hope he and his team relaxed a little, as they are usually very focused.”
Draper’s impressive performance in the California event included victories over Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Carlos Alcaraz, before his dominant win against Rune 6-2, 6-2.
This marks the third title in the British player’s career, adding to his ATP 250 Stuttgart and ATP 500 Vienna wins in 2024, and earned him a substantial £930,000 prize at what’s often called the ‘fifth Slam’.
Nicky had previously traveled to New York for Draper’s US Open semi-final last year and expressed immense pride in her son, who seems to have overcome past injuries to compete at the highest level.
He is now heading to the Miami Open, closely trailing Novak Djokovic in the rankings.
Draper’s mother added, “He has worked incredibly hard for this. He has always been a very talented player, but talent alone isn’t enough. It requires dedication, consistent hard work, and focus on all aspects of tennis – speed, fitness, mental strength, and strategic tournament scheduling. He is now proceeding to Miami.”
“The final was relatively straightforward compared to some matches where I’ve been on edge for hours, wondering about the outcome,” she concluded.
Princess Kate also acknowledged Draper’s victory, posting congratulations on Instagram: “Congratulations @jackdraper. A fantastic performance. Well done.”
