Jack Draper has been unable to escape his injury issues at the US Open.
After defeating Federico Agustin Gomez in round one, Draper has withdrawn from the tournament due to ongoing issues with his left arm.
This issue has plagued Draper for much of the summer: he was also forced to withdraw from both the Cincinnati Open and Canadian Open.
This is undoubtedly a smart decision by Draper. Managing an injury is difficult and must be handled with care and patience.
One notable tennis commentator has advised Draper regarding how he should manage his injury moving forward.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesDavid Law suggests Jack Draper should skip the rest of the year
David Law, a tennis pundit and commentator, has offered his reaction to the news of Draper’s withdrawal from the US Open, suggesting that the British number one should take the rest of the year to recover, before returning to the tour at the Australian Open.
On The Tennis Podcast, Law said: “Certainly on the whole, given the injury that he’s described, having to his arm, and the fact that he’s kept him out since Wimbledon, and the fact that he’s talked about having pain and playing through it and so forth.
“The surprise comes… because after the first round match where he lost a set and he was talking about how ‘I need sets, and I wanted to lose that set in a way so I could have another one.’ I assumed he was good to go, really, at least to play.
“So I guess once you played an intense match, then there’s the period of how does the body react to it, because you just haven’t done it for such a long time, and there we are. It must have flared up, and that’s dispiriting for him, isn’t it?
“Because for the first time, we were talking earlier about how Emma Raducanu was finally able to piece matches together and not have to think about physicality, and really for a good six or eight months, it’s felt like that with Jack Draper.
“Look what he’s achieved. Look at the title he won and the ranking he’s managed to put together. And we’re back where we were. He’s back where he was, and I bet it’s a tough one to swallow.
“He is a natural born competitor who wants to be maximising his opportunity to make the most of his incredible talents and the fact that he’s kind of cracked this year; in the last 12 months, Jack Draper has proved he’s a top five player in the world who can hurt people and who could maybe win a Grand Slam tournament and it’s not like the time’s ticking down, but this is where he wants to be doing it.
“He’s a young man who’s got it all before him, and now his arm is stopping him playing tennis. It must be gutting, and I agree with you. How do you handle this?
“I don’t know what the physical diagnosis and prognosis is, what the most sensible course of action is, but there’s a big part of me that just wishes he would see us in January.
“I know there’s loads of points and there’s loads of prize money and all the rest of it, but if him coming out for the Australian Open in January [and being] 100 per cent fit was the option, personally, I’d be taking that.”
Who has benefitted from Draper’s withdrawal at the US Open?
Zizou Bergs is the obvious beneficiary of Draper’s withdrawal. The Belgian player was due to play Draper in the second round, but has consequently advanced to the third round.
Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images
The three other seeds in Draper’s section of the draw – Flavio Cobolli, Gabriel Diallo and Lorenzo Musetti – have also benefitted from Draper’s withdrawal, as one of those players now has a huge opportunity to reach the quarter-final stage without facing a top 10 player.
Diallo faces Spaniard Jaume Munar in the second round, while Cobolli is currently playing American Jenson Brooksby.
Musetti is already through to the third round, having defeated David Goffin in straight sets. He will face either Cobolli or Brooksby in the third round.
The winner of the match between Munar and Diallo will face Zizou Bergs in the third round.