British tennis hopeful Jack Draper has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon, citing a relapse of an arm injury that has previously sidelined him for an extended period. The announcement comes as a significant blow to the 24-year-old, who was scheduled to face sixth seed Taylor Fritz in a highly anticipated first-round match on Centre Court on Tuesday.
Draper, who had Andy Murray coaching him for the tournament, expressed profound disappointment, stating, "Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury." He added that while the past 12 months have been filled with "painful moments," this particular setback is "definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at Wimbledon." This withdrawal echoes that of Emma Raducanu, further depleting the British contingent at their home Grand Slam.
The arm injury is the same one that kept Draper off the tour for seven months, from August last year until February. His recent return to competitive tennis saw him make a comeback at Eastbourne last week, winning three matches before being defeated by Ugo Humbert in the semi-finals on Friday. Despite his recent competitive play, and having spoken to journalists on Sunday without indicating any injury, the issue has unfortunately resurfaced.
A year ago, Draper entered Wimbledon as the world number four, having secured the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells and reaching the Madrid Open final. His current ranking is expected to drop further, potentially below 140. Reflecting on his arduous journey, Draper noted on Sunday, "It's been an incredibly long process. It's taken a lot out of me mentally coming back and coming back and coming back."
Ironically, Draper had also voiced concerns about the increasing trend of injuries in men's tennis, highlighting issues with shoulders, arms, and wrists among top players like Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti, Arthur Fils, and Holger Rune. He questioned whether factors such as ball quality or the intensity of the tour, particularly the 12-day Masters 1000 events, contribute to these physical demands on athletes. He urged a "close look at what we're doing on tour" to address the "worrying state of men's tennis."