JACK DRAPER still drives the same old Polo car to training because he does not see the point of having a flashier vehicle in London, according to his pal Jack Pinnington Jones.
Jones’s Wimbledon dreams were fuelled as a teenager during early-morning car journeys with Draper listening to UK rap on the stereo.
Jack Draper drives the same VW Polo he had when he was a teenager[/caption]
Draper used to drive mate Jack Pinnington Jones to training[/caption]
Humble star Draper would listen to rap music to get him in the mood for playing[/caption]
The 22-year-old – who lost to Italian Flavio Cobolli in round two today – recently turned professional, having quit his studies at Texas Christian University.
The Surrey star, who has earned so far £99,000 in prize money, had long dreamt of this position, particularly on those sunrise motor trips with Draper.
They would travel together to Roehampton’s National Tennis Centre before dawn in the winter months and before the school rush, put on the tunes and talk rubbish.
The funny thing is that Draper, who has pocked career earnings of £5.9million, still drives around in the same Polo car and refuses to trade up for a bigger, better and more expensive model.
Jones, the world No.281, said: “I’d probably practise at maybe 10-11am. We’d be driving through Cobham (in Surrey).
“The traffic is just a nightmare if you go any later with the school run.
“So, Jack would say: ‘Right, I’m going to be there at 6.30am. You’re either there or you’re not.’ I’d be half asleep every time.
“It’d take 20 minutes on the roads because no-one else is awake. You’ll have to wait till 8am for breakfast. It’s just us sitting there at the NTC.
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“Music-wise, it’d be UK rap at the beginning of the week. If it’s the end of the week, something probably more chilled.
“I was about 15 or 16. I didn’t have a licence. Jack has the same car now. This little Polo.
“He treats it awfully. He’s like: ‘I don’t need a nice car in London, I’m going to ding it anyway.’
“It’s the same car he got when he first passed. He loves it. He has some boxing gloves in the wing mirror.”
The two Jacks are very close pals and Draper reckons Jones has the makings one day of becoming a top-100 player.
The decision to leave college, forego his degree and go pro was “a big decision” and tennis is “obviously now a job”.
British No.11 Jones, who hails from Kingston, plays golf to a reasonable level and was hitting balls at Andy Murray’s club the other day.
He is probably one of the guys that took the mickey out of Draper for his attempts at shaving off his stubble before his first-round win over Sebastian Baez.
Indeed, Draper – who now plays former US Open champion Marin Cilic this afternoon – is hoping the only close shaves this Wimbledon fortnight will be on his legs.
And Britain’s tennis hero has told fans to expect plenty of different hairstyles throughout his career – because it is a chance for him to experiment and rebel.
Draper, 23, said: “Yeah, I shave my legs. I mean a lot of athletes do.
“It’s because of the (resistance) band work we do between our legs.
“I’m fed up of ingrown hairs and getting slapped with the bands – it sort of hurts a lot. So, I get rid of the hairs.
“When I put the bands around my leg, it pulls on your hair and it rips them off. And it’s the same with the massages as well.
“I mean it’s not ideal but if I’m going to be in less pain, then it’s worth it.”
Draper had blonde highlights done in his hair pre-tournament but will not be visiting the barbers until the event is over.
The British No.1 said: “One thing you will see with me over the years is a lot of different hairstyles. A lot of different things.
“Because I’m very experimental with that sort of stuff. Do I get bored? Yeah.
“There will be a lot of different things. My brother doesn’t like it but there will be a lot.”
Draper has shaved his legs for Wimbledon[/caption]
