It was "third time lucky" for Jack Draper on Sunday, when he won his first ATP Tour title in his third tour-level final. The 22-year-old beat Matteo Berrettini to triumph at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart, a result that also set him up for a debut as British No. 1 and a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 30.
The sixth seed's 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory against two-time Stuttgart champ Berrettini provided the perfect start to his grass-court campaign. Draper will next bid to carry that momentum forward to home events on the lawns of The Queen's Club and Wimbledon — the latter of which he will likely be seeded at thanks to his rise in the PIF ATP Rankings.
ATPTour.com caught up with Draper to discuss his title breakthrough, those who helped him reach that milestone, and more.
What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
Honestly it means the world to me. I've been working for this moment for a very long time. Lots of ups and downs, lots of injuries, lots of setbacks. To come through today and win, and the way I've been playing, I'm really, really proud of myself. Hopefully it's a testament to all my hard work and I can keep going.
How did your previous ATP Tour finals in Sofia and Adelaide help you today?
I don't know. I think third time lucky, really. In those matches I think I was a little defensive and allowed them to win the match. Today against Matteo I had to be aggressive, I had to win the game on my own terms. I think the experiences of losing a lot of matches where the opponent has taken it from me, I think that helped me a lot.
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