Jack Draper, former world number four, has once again had to withdraw from an ATP tournament due to the recurrence of an arm injury in his dominant arm.
Despite the 24-year-old saying “I feel physically really good” on the eve of the tournament, he has unfortunately withdrawn from his match against American Alex Michelsen.
When Did Draper’s Injury Occur?
Draper suffered this potentially career-altering injury around a year ago, withdrawing from the US Open in the second round.
The injury happened shortly after Wimbledon in 2025, caused by chronic repetitive stress on the bone during his serving motion. The former British number one’s most valuable asset on the tennis courts.
His first-round performance against Argentina’s Federico Augustin Gomez aggravated the pain and damage to his arm, and despite winning, his body could not carry on competing with the pain he was suffering from.
What Is Draper’s Injury?
Draper’s injury is a complex internal bone bruising in his left arm caused by excessive stress and force being exerted during swings and vibrations shooting through the racket up his arm. The injury first came to light during the clay season last year.
Since this injury, the 2025 Indian Wells champion has had multiple delays while trying to return to action. A hindrance in the career progress of the talented young man.
The Briton has played only 10 ATP matches this year, beating Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells. Just as things seemed as though they were picking up, Draper again got injured.
Both his arm and a tendinitis concern in the right knee prevented him from competing at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Despite a strong run at the ATP 250 Eastbourne Open, Draper has not been in a position to compete at his peak level.
Fans still await seeing the Andy Murray and Draper partnership take flight. Murray began coaching Draper before the grass season in 2026.
But they’re yet to see the real impact of the three-time grand slam champion due to Draper’s health.
Draper’s ranking had dropped from 4th to 147th in a year due to his persistent injuries. A real concern for the young man who has the talent and potential to challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who is also injured.
Will We See Draper over the Hard-Court Swing?
Due to a significant decrease in ranking, Draper is not on the entry list for the US Open main draw.
With this health issue and not having a protected ranking, the British star may not feature at the US Open this year.
Draper missing all four slams is a real possibility, which would be a real dampener for the LTA and players they’ve developed after a lacklustre year in terms of results.
He remains on the entry list for the ATP 75 Brownsburg, Indiana Challenger tournament. Draper fans will hope it’s a tournament at a level he can find fitness and adapt his play to prevent any further problems.
Greg Rusedski announced on his Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast that he believes Draper should have a wildcard for the US Open.
Rusedski hinted the new head of USTA, Craig Tiley, should think “wisely” about including the British player as a wild card in the event.
Rusedski said, “Craig (Tiley) is a smart man, and you need to keep top players happy. If Jack is healthy with Andy Murray, that still creates a lot of buzz in America if you have that relationship in New York.” Hinting towards the success Murray had in New York back in 2012.
We hope that in the upcoming weeks, we see Draper on court in some capacity and able to compete at his upcoming challenger event.
