Jack Draper withdraws from the US Open
Jack Draper has pulled out of the US Open, bringing a wretched 2026 to its lowest ebb yet, reports BritPanorama.
The British star, who thrilled fans by reaching the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows just two years ago, continues to struggle with a bone bruise in his dominant left arm that has plagued him for over a year.
His withdrawal means the 24-year-old from Sutton will not feature in a single Grand Slam this season, having already sat out both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Once ranked as high as world No. 4, Draper has tumbled beyond the top 140 after spending the vast majority of the year sidelined.
His ranking had fallen too low to gain direct entry to the main draw at Flushing Meadows, leaving qualifying or a wildcard as his only routes in. Following a prolonged spell away from competition, Draper attempted a comeback on the North American hard courts but found only heartbreak.
At the Canadian Open in Montreal, he was beaten in the opening round by Terence Atmane, breaking down in tears during the closing stages of the match. Days later in Cincinnati, he suffered another first-round defeat, this time at the hands of Martin Landaluce, surrendering the final five games in succession, going down 6-3, 7-5.
Those two deeply discouraging outings convinced the Briton that pressing on was futile for now. According to those close to the player, Draper has accepted he simply requires further time away from the tour to allow his arm to heal.
Speaking after his Cincinnati defeat, Draper was candid about the psychological burden of his ordeal. “It’s a difficult place to be right now,” he told the Guardian, acknowledging that the mental exhaustion of fighting serious injury for 15 months had become inescapable.
The Briton admitted that chronic pain had stripped him of his greatest asset. “It’s got to a point with me where it’s taken probably one of my biggest qualities, my fighting spirit,” he said. “There’s a level of chronic pain that’s always with you. When you’ve got that on your playing arm – this is my life, this is my career, you know?”
He spoke with raw honesty about the uncertainty surrounding his condition: “When you’ve got an injury that is tough to come past and tough to understand, there’s many challenges, there’s many obstacles.”
Since the Wimbledon period, Draper has undertaken significant modifications to his equipment and technique in an effort to ease the burden on his ailing arm. He has switched both his strings and racket, while continuing to refine his serving action.
No timeline has been set for his return to competitive tennis. Notably, he has been omitted from Britain’s Davis Cup squad for their September fixture in London, offering little encouragement that a comeback is imminent.
Draper’s withdrawal arrived mere hours after world No. 1 Jannik Sinner revealed he too would be absent from Flushing Meadows owing to a knee problem. Carlos Alcaraz, however, is poised to return to action following four months out with a wrist injury, ensuring the tournament retains considerable star power.
As Draper grapples with this setback, fans are left pondering the resilience required not just to return but to reclaim former glories, a poignant reminder of the thin line between triumph and pain in professional sports.
