Jack Draper withdraws from Queen’s Club Championships, raising Wimbledon doubts
Jack Draper has pulled out of next week’s Queen’s Club Championships as his battle with persistent injuries casts doubt over his Wimbledon hopes, reports BritPanorama.
The 24-year-old British number three confirmed the disappointing news on Tuesday, opting to delay his return by another week. “Recovery is going in the right direction, but I’m going to give myself one more week and aim to return at Eastbourne,” Draper stated. He added, “Very hard to miss one of my favourite events of the year.”
The Eastbourne Open begins on 22 June, leaving Draper just days to prepare before Wimbledon commences on 29 June. His fitness woes stem from a tendon problem in his right knee that forced him to retire during his opening-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open on 13 April.
That setback came after the Surrey-born player had already endured months on the sidelines with bone bruising in his left arm. The combination of ailments has restricted him to completing just eight matches throughout 2026. Reports suggest Draper has been training at Queen’s in recent days but has not been serving, potentially indicating concerns beyond the knee injury.
His management confirmed the knee tendon issue occurred in Barcelona approximately two months ago. Draper’s decline in the rankings tells the stark story of his injury-plagued campaign. Exactly one year ago, on 6 June 2025, he sat at world number four following triumphs at Indian Wells and a run to the Madrid Open final.
Now he finds himself languishing at 112th, having contested merely 10 matches since last summer’s Championships at SW19. The situation will deteriorate further when his points from reaching the Queen’s semi-finals in 2025 are removed from his tally. His victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the west London venue last year now feels a distant memory as fitness concerns continue to dominate.
The much-anticipated coaching partnership with Sir Andy Murray, established specifically for the grass-court season, remains in limbo as Draper’s body refuses to cooperate. Murray, the two-time Wimbledon champion who previously worked with Novak Djokovic at this year’s Australian Open, has yet to sit in Draper’s coaching box for a competitive match. Despite his game being well-suited to grass, Draper has never progressed beyond the second round at the All England Club in four attempts.
He admitted last year to being “inexperienced” on the surface, despite growing up in Surrey with his father formerly serving as chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association. With the grass-court season unfolding, Draper’s hopes hang in the balance, reminding fans and analysts alike that the path to greatness is often laden with unforeseen hurdles. The tennis world will be watching closely as he seeks to reclaim his form and fitness.
