'That’s exactly what he has done': Marion Bartoli reveals Jack Draper's coach's winning formula in Rome

Former world No. 7 Marion Bartoli revealed what she heard Jack Draper's coach say to him during his triumphant debut at the Rome Open. The world No. 5 comfortably defeated young Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-4 and now has 13 wins in Masters 1000 tournaments this season.

The Brit displayed the high level he carried over from the Madrid Open – where he reached the final and eventually lost to Casper Ruud – and faced no major difficulties against the talented local player.

Despite Draper's conviction during the match, the conversations he had with his coach James Trotman were also important, and Sky Sports reporter Marion Bartoli overheard them firsthand. “It’s very clear for him that he knows he is going to win the match on his own terms,” said the former No. 1. “I was actually trying to listen to what the coach was saying to him, and he was saying keep playing great, and keep playing your own game.”

“That’s exactly what he has done, especially towards the back end of the second set when things were more difficult and tricky for him,” the 2013 Wimbledon champion added. “He kept hugging that baseline, going into the court and playing brave tennis. That rewarded him in the end.”

“You are not earning a top five spot without having weapons and he has major weapons. You just have to keep believing in them. He gets himself in the position a lot faster than he used to, and especially on clay, that is absolutely mandatory.”

Draper will return to the court this Sunday against Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva, who is making his first appearance in the third round of a Masters 1000. The Brit continues to climb the rankings week by week, and Taylor Fritz's recent early exit gives him a chance to rise to world No. 4 if he secures a couple more victories in Rome.