British tennis ace Jack Draper has sailed through to the US Open semi-final after storming to victory in the quarter-final against Australia's Alex de Minaur.
The 22-year-old, who had previously never gone beyond a fourth round of a Grand Slam, clinched a sensational victory, winning 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
© Getty ImagesJack has now become the first British man to reach the semi-finals of the US Open since tennis legend Andy Murray who won his grand slam title at the competition back in 2012.
Reflecting on his performance, Jack said: "This is not like an overnight thing for me. I've believed for a long time that I've been putting in the work and doing the right things, and I knew that my time would come.
© Getty Images"I didn't know when it would be, but hopefully from here I can do a lot of amazing things. I'm very proud of myself."
As Jack continues his US Open campaign, join HELLO! as we take a closer look at his rarely-seen parents, Roger and Nicky. Keep scrolling for all the details…
Jack's father Roger
Jack's father Roger is the former chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association – a position he held from 2006 to 2013.
Prior to this, he held the position of chief executive at Sport England between 2003 and 2006. Since 2018, he has been the global business advisor for Boston Consulting Group.
© Getty ImagesHis passion for sports was seemingly ignited in his university days, with the father-of-two opting to study Sports Science and Recreation Management at Loughborough University.
As a youngster, Jack dealt with "quite a lot of jealousy" owing to his parents' high-profile sporting careers. In 2021, he told Telegraph Sport about how his competitors wanted him to fail during junior tournaments.
"There was quite a lot of jealousy when I was younger," he explained. "I would often go to junior tournaments and have 15 boys on the balcony that I had never seen before willing me on to lose, making noises before I serve, all that sort of stuff. That's just kids' stuff, though, isn't it?"
© Getty ImagesHe continued: "I realised as I got older, that's just the way it is. There's always going to be people thinking that I am getting better treatment or whatever. But at the end of the day, I am the one who has put all my efforts and hard work and sacrifices into being a good tennis player."
Jack's mother Nicky
Jack's mother, Nicky, is a former junior British tennis champion. She took him to his first training session at the Sutton Tennis Squash Club and was his first tennis coach during the early stages of his career.
According to The Times, the pair are very close with Jack still calling her first after triumphing on the court.
© InstagramMusing on her son's talent, Nicky told LTA: "Believe it or not, 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."
Elsewhere, she added: "He loved other sports as a child, but tennis became a priority very quickly."
Tennis runs in the blood! Jack's brother Ben was also a talented player and had a tennis scholarship at Berkeley University in California.
