Draper recovers to earn maiden French Open win

With his first French Open victory of his career, Great Britain’s Jack Draper made up for his slow start.

Draper, who is fifth overall, fought off Italy’s Mattia Bellucci, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to break through the gears.

Draper made his first two Roland Garros appearances, but he has since proven himself to be a true force on the clay this year.

“I think Bellucci came out and played impressively right away,” Draper said.

“I was more aggressive when I was able to turn things around.”

Six British singles players won the French Open first round for the first time since 1973 thanks to the 23-year-old Englishman’s victory.

For the wrong reasons, Draper’s previous visits to Roland Garros have been forgettable.

The left-hander retired two years ago and complained about being known as “the guy who hurts a lot,” before suffering with his serve in a humiliating defeat against Jesper de Jong, who was ranked 176th overall.

He has come back this year as a different proposition with a compelling case.

Draper has experienced a rapid rise over the past 12 months and achieved a number of notable career milestones.

He won ATP titles on grass and hard courts last year, and he also won his first clay-court final last month in Madrid, making it to the top five of the world. He also won his first Grand Slam semi-final at last year’s US Open.

According to seasoned sportspeople, Draper has the ability to perform well on the red carpet, and Tim Henman, the former world number four, said his best qualities, which include his left-handed serve and his forehand, could “work on any surface.”

Draper once more demonstrated that when he faced Bellucci.

Cutting out double faults also increased the volume of forehand winners, rising from 58% of points won with the opening shot in the first set to 92% in the second, and boosting his first serve’s dominance.

Bellucci was unable to handle the venom of this shot, which wowed the Paris crowd, who frequently quipped about Draper’s power and accuracy.