Great Britain’s Jack Draper has announced he will withdraw from the upcoming French Open due to a knee tendon injury, leaving his appearance at Wimbledon in doubt.
It was a further blow to the former world number four’s bid to bounce back after missing the better part of eight months with a long-term arm injury.
Draper has played just nine games in five tournaments since returning in February, dropping out of the Barcelona Open in the first round against Thomas Echeverry earlier this month.
He was later diagnosed with a worsening hamstring injury, and initially hoped to return in time for next month’s second Grand Slam of the year.
He wrote on his Instagram Story: “My knee is improving and I am back to hitting the ball, but unfortunately I have been advised not to participate in Roland Garros.
“It’s disappointing to miss another tournament, but my advice is not to start playing five sets of tennis on clay right away.
“The injury I sustained in the back of my arm last year has limited my training, but by taking time to heal and strengthen, I can become the player I want to be in competitions again. See you soon!”
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Highlights of the Barcelona Open match where Thomas Martin Etcheverry and Draper were forced to retire
It’s another disappointing setback for the 24-year-old, who less than a year ago was ranked in the world’s top four and looked like a potential challenger to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for major titles.
He has now joined Alcaraz during his absence from Roland Garros and is almost certain to be outside the top 100 in the rankings upon his return.
The news follows an overall disappointing season for the English favorites, with Emma Raducanu still sidelined as she is recovering from post-viral symptoms after falling ill in early February.
The 24-year-old previously missed tennis for eight months due to an arm injury, but only recently returned.
Sonay Kartal has already been ruled out of the French Open after sustaining a back injury at last month’s Miami Open, while Fran Jones and Jacob Fearnley are also struggling with fitness issues.
Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter, who are set to return to the world top 20 next month, are the only British players to have played singles at the current Madrid Open, and there is a good chance they will do the same at next week’s Italian Open in Rome.
Raducanu’s French Open is up in the air
Raducanu is back in training and could play at the Foro Italico, with Britain’s number one expected to make a decision later this week.
Meanwhile, Draper could make a comeback at the grass court tournament in Stuttgart, where he won his first title in 2024.
It begins on June 8th, with the HSBC Championship being held at the Queen’s Club in London the following week.
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