Jack Draper has withdrawn from the US Open after suffering a setback in the arm injury he has been managing since Wimbledon.
The world No5 had not played a singles match between a second-round defeat at Wimbledon and his first-round victory here as he recovered from bone bruising in his left humerus.
He looked well below-par in a four-set win over Argentina’s Federico Gomez on Monday and admitted afterwards he was still feeling some discomfort. The hope from the Draper camp was that the pain would die down as he played his way into the tournament but it has not been the case.
‘I’m sorry to say I’ll be withdrawing from the US Open,’ said Draper in a statement. ‘I tried my very best to be here and give myself every chance to play but the discomfort in my arm has become too much. I have to do what is right and look after myself.’
It is a crushing blow for the British No1, for whom this has been by far his most productive Grand Slam.
‘You’ve got to listen to your body,’ said Tim Henman on Sky Sports. ‘As hard as it will have been, this is the right cause of action.’Â
Jack Draper has withdrawn from the US Open as he continues to struggle with an arm injury
There was hope the pain would reduce during the tournament but that hasn’t been the case
The bone bruising began in the middle of the clay season, meaning it has lingered over the French Open, Wimbledon and here in New York.
Draper had the injury looked into after Wimbledon and was given an approximate time scale of eight weeks. With seven weeks between then and the US Open, the race was on and he has worked with physio Shane Annun and fitness trainer Matt Little to be ready ahead of time.
Daily Mail Sport understands scans on the injury taken last week showed a full recovery and so Draper came into the tournament with cautiously high hopes. But having felt some discomfort over the last few days a decision was taken to withdraw and investigate the injury further.
Given he was troubled by hip pain at the Australian Open, Draper has now gone an entire season without being fully fit for a single Grand Slam. All the momentum he had built up by winning the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells and reaching the final on the clay of Madrid has dissipated.Â
He will drop to No7 in the world and could fall further depending on other results this fortnight. His place in the year-end Tour Finals for the top eight place in the world – which looked such a certainty half way through the year – is in serious doubt.
The world No5 looked well below-par in his four-set win over Argentina’s Federico Gomez
The 23-year-old has been troubled by injury throughout his career, but during his breakthrough 2024 season it seemed he had put those troubles behind him.
Yet, for all the improvements in his game this year, Draper has managed only 11 tournaments – and it may be several weeks yet before we see him return to the court.
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Jack Draper WITHDRAWS from US Open hours before second-round match as star releases statement