Jack Draper could be forgiven for feeling down and out after another injury-enforced withdrawal, but he is determined to see his glass as half full.
Having been forced to miss Wimbledon due to his long-standing forearm injury, Draper was finally set to return to action at this week’s Mubadala DC Open as he received a wildcard entry into the main draw.
But just 24 hours before he was due to take on Alex Michelsen, he was forced to pull out of the ATP 500 tournament as his arm is still not 100%.
Draper has played just 13 matches in 2026 as he made a delayed start to his season, missing the Australian Open before finally returning for the hard-court season.
He reached the quarter-final of the Indian Wells Open, beating tennis great Novak Djokovic in the last 16, and was hopeful his woes were behind him, but then disaster struck again on clay as he suffered a knee injury at the Barcelona Open.
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That injury forced him to miss the rest of the clay swing, including Roland Garros, and his next comeback was on the grass at the Eastbourne Open. Following a run to the semi-final, the former world No 4 was in good spirits he would feature at Wimbledon.
But it was not to be as he withdrew on the eve of his home Grand Slam.
Next up was the Washington DC event and hopes were high that he would finally get a tournament under his belt as he was seen practising alongside coach Andy Murray, but his arm injury flared up again.
In an emotional post on Instagram, the British star wrote: “These last months have felt like nothing but adversity and setbacks. Most days I’ve spent in doubt, yet hopeful that I can keep taking positive steps forward and finding ways to progress.
“On days off, I reflect, and I’m only grateful for the struggle and what it’s teaching me.
“Finding acceptance and being patient with the process has been my biggest challenge, but I know I’m getting closer to where I want to be!!
“Very lucky to have such amazing people to help guide me through this storm, and so with that… we keep persevering. Thank you for all the support and love.”
Having slipped outside the top 100 in the ATP Rankings, Draper doesn’t feature on the entry lists for the upcoming Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open or the US Open.
However, he has entered the Brownsburg ATP 75 Challenger, which starts on 10 August, but it remains to be seen if he will play following his latest setback.
