Jack Draper Withdraws from Madrid Open Due to Ongoing Knee Injury

The Mutua Madrid Open draw has been announced, with the tournament set to begin on Tuesday, broadcast live on Sky Sports. However, Britain's Jack Draper has withdrawn from the competition due to an ongoing knee injury that also forced him to curtail his participation in the Barcelona Open. Draper's withdrawal follows those of prominent players such as Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic. The 2024 US Open semi-finalist will also miss the Italian Open next month but is aiming to recover in time for the French Open in May. Draper stated, 'The tendon in my knee is aggravated, so I won't be able to compete in Madrid and Rome. It's disappointing, but I'm relieved it's not a more severe issue. My recovery is progressing well, and I'm optimistic about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros.' Britain's Cameron Norrie will participate in the tournament and has received a first-round bye. Norrie recently made the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open after a second-round exit at Monte Carlo. Katie Boulter will face American Taylor Townsend in the first round, with a potential second-round match against fifth seed Jessica Pegula. Boulter has previously defeated Townsend in all their meetings but hasn't played her since Beijing in 2024. Townsend has been in good form this season, reaching the final of the ATX Open WTA 250 in February. A win for Boulter would set up a second-round match against Pegula, who recently won her second WTA title of the season in Charleston. Despite the absence of Alcaraz and Djokovic, Jannik Sinner is the top seed and will also receive a bye in the first round. The ATP and WTA Tours can be watched live on Sky Sports or streamed with NOW and the Sky Sports app, offering Sky Sports customers over 50 per cent more live sports this year at no additional cost.