Jack Draper Withdraws from Madrid and Rome Tournaments
Jack Draper has announced his withdrawal from this week's Madrid Open and will also miss the Italian Open next month due to a knee tendon injury.
The 24-year-old British player had already missed the Monte Carlo Masters and retired from his only clay court match of the season in Barcelona because of this issue.
That Barcelona tournament marked just the fourth event in Draper's comeback following a bone bruising injury, which, except for one match at the US Open, had sidelined him since Wimbledon.
"An aggravated tendon in my knee means I am not able to play in Madrid and Rome," Draper said.
"It's frustrating for sure, but I am thankful it isn't anything more serious.
"Recovery is going well and I feel good about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros. I am looking forward to building momentum from there."
The French Open is scheduled to begin in Paris on 24 May, and Draper is considering participating in an ATP event in either Hamburg or Geneva the week prior.
Draper, who reached the semi-finals of the 2024 US Open, retired from his first-round match in Barcelona while trailing Tomas Martin Etcheverry 4-1 in the deciding set. He struggled with movement during the match, and the physio applied tape below his right knee before the final set commenced.
He had also worn tape on his knee during the Indian Wells tournament in early March, where he notably defeated Novak Djokovic en route to the quarter-finals.
Ranking Points and Impact
Draper faces a significant loss of ranking points due to his absence from Madrid and Rome.
Last year, he reached his first clay court final in Madrid, losing to Casper Ruud, and advanced to the quarter-finals in Rome. A total of 850 points will be deducted from his ranking, likely causing him to drop outside the world’s top 70.
Having reached a career-high ranking of number four in June last year, Draper is expected to be unseeded for the French Open and likely for Wimbledon as well.
Injury History and Recovery
The former British number one has experienced multiple injuries throughout his career. He missed six months of the 2023 season due to a shoulder injury and had hip problems leading into last year.
Despite these setbacks, Draper recovered impressively to win his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and finished runner-up in Madrid. However, bone bruising in his left serving arm limited him to just one singles match after Wimbledon.
His comeback began with Davis Cup duty for Great Britain in Norway in February. After defeating Viktor Durasovic, Draper reflected on managing his time away from tennis.
"I've kind of taken a step back from tennis in this period," he told .
"Tennis is a bubble, and sometimes you can get distracted that it's all that matters in life. When [I] have time out, I use it wisely to make sure that when I try and come back to tennis, that I'm ready to go all the way again."
British Players at Madrid and Other Injuries
With Emma Raducanu also absent from Madrid as she continues her recovery from illness, Katie Boulter and Cameron Norrie remain the only British players in the main draw of the Spanish capital.
Meanwhile, Sonay Kartal, who is also missing the Madrid tournament, will be sidelined for the entire clay season, which concludes at the start of June, due to a back injury sustained at Indian Wells in March.
The 24-year-old British number two was forced to retire from her fourth-round match in California against world number three Elena Rybakina because of a lower back issue.
In an Instagram post, Kartal stated that the injury "hasn't improved as quickly as I would've hoped" but added:
"Can't wait to play infront of a home crowd soon. See you on the grass."
