JACK DRAPER was given an electric motorbike for winning the Stuttgart Open – but bungling bosses admitted it was actually meant for his opponent!
The British ace, 22, celebrated the greatest moment of his tennis career by beating former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini 3-6 7-6 6-4 for his first ATP Tour-level title.
It came hours after he was named on the Team GB Olympics squad alongside Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Katie Boulter and Andy Murray, who will hit balls at a record fifth Games.
A snazzy new £19,000 two-wheeled vehicle that can reach a top speed of 130km/h will now be shipped to the UK for the new British No.1 to use on the roads around Wimbledon.
Yet embarrassingly, Hugo Boss boss Daniel Grieder said it had been decked out in the Italian Berrettini’s sponsors’ colours – and they will get another one produced for the Sutton southpaw.
Draper, who has earned £95,000 for this triumph, laughed: “I might order it in all-black like Batman!
“I didn’t realise I was able to ride something like that. It looks too precious to ride.
“Not sure how it would look driving down Putney in one of those! Maybe I will give it a try.
“The tournament organisers were confident in their player, who is very good on the grass. For them, it was probably inevitable he was going to win.
“We put on a good show in the final. I am sure they are disappointed like Matteo but it feels good to pull through.”
PRIZE MONEY for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships is a new record – and puts the grass-court Slam at the top of the tree.
The All England Club will dish out £50million across all the events – an increase of £5.3m and 11.9 per cent on last year, where singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova picked up £2.35m each.
However, the king and queen of grass this July will collect an extra £350,000 – taking the winner’s earnings to £2.7m.
Here is the breakdown for the 2024 Wimbledon singles prize money:
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This come-from-behind victory – which follows two final losses in Sofia and Adelaide over the past eight months – means he is likely to be seeded at Wimbledon next month.
Draper, who is set to become the new world top 31, said: “This year I’ve had a lot of players in big events in the first or second rounds, who are top-10 or 15, and it has been hard to get going.
“Being a seed does give you protection to avoid a Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. It’s a big achievement. I hope I can have a good run there.
“This win is so important. I have done all the right things but the results haven’t always shown. It’s testament to my perseverance and the amazing people around me.
“This means the world to me. The power of belief in tennis is a huge thing. This win will be a massive confidence booster.”
