Jack Draper's parents: Everything to know about ex-LTA chief father whose tenure ended in controversy, and tennis-loving mother

UK's Jack Draper has made waves in the tennis community since he arrived on the professional circuit in 2018. Draper made it to the finals of the 2018 Wimbledon as a Junior.

Draper's parents were the early initiators for him in the game of tennis. His father, Roger Draper, was a central figure in the British Tennis administration and his mother Nicky Draper was his first coach.

Roger Draper served as the head of the Lawn Tennis Association of the UK from 2006 to 2013. Roger's tenure saw him making several radical moves such as spending more money on appointing high-profile coaches from all around the world to accelerate the performances of British tennis.

However, when his remuneration was made public, he came under heavy criticism. Critics pointed out that a salary of £640,000 was not commensurate with Roger's services. One of the most outspoken critics was Baroness Billingham, who pointed out that he earned more than the country's prime minister, but had no credible ideas to change the game.

‘It’s unthinkable someone earning four times more than the prime minister has not got ideas for the shake-up of the sport.’ quoted by Baroness Billingham in a BBC interview (via metro.co.uk)

During Roger's reign, however, British tennis saw Andy Murray win the 2012 Olympic gold by defeating Roger Federer in the final. A US Open title in the same year for Murray also highlighted Roger Draper's tenure as LTA Chief.

Jack Draper's mother Nicky Draper was a coach at the Sutton Tennis and Squash Club where the former took his first steps to become a tennis player as a two and half year old toddler.

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"He picked up a racket for the first time when he was just one"- Jack Draper's mother recalls her son's tennis talents from an early age.

Jack Draper's mother Nick Draper was a tennis player herself, who played the sport at the junior level. She recalled that Draper showed signs of being a good tennis player from a very early age by exhibiting proper hand-eye coordination.

"He picked up a racket for the first time when he was just one and you could see from a very young age that Jack had incredible hand-eye coordination" quoted by Nicky Draper in an interview (Via LTA.org,UK)

Jack Draper's mother further stated that the transition to senior-level tennis from the juniors was a tough challenge, one which her son had managed to overcome and was able to ascertain himself as a player who belonged at the highest level.

"There are plenty of challenging times at this stage of a career. You make a lot of sacrifices and can’t hang out with your friends. Having come through all that, it’s great to see Jack getting the rewards he is enjoying now. added Nicky Draper after her son won his maiden M25 title on the ITF Tour. (Via the LTA.org.uk)

Nick Draper also appreciated the support that her son had received from LTA in becoming a professional tennis player.

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Jack Draper won his maiden ATP Title at Stuttgart

After injury layoffs in the initial stages of his career, Draper has made steady progress on the ATP tour. The Brit made a breakthrough in last year's US Open, where he reached the fourth round, overcoming a seeded player in Hubert Hurkacz.

Draper won his first ATP title in Stuttgart by defeating Matteo Berretini in the final. The Brit's play on grass was always his strength, which helped him get his maiden triumph on the ATP circuit. As a result, Draper sits at his highest career ranking of 31 at the moment.

Draper is currently playing at the Queen's Club championships, building up towards this year's Wimbledon. He is slated to face top seed and World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz in his next match.