Madrid Open: Jack Draper Withdraws Due to Injury as Katie Boulter Faces Taylor Townsend

The Mutua Madrid Open is set to commence on Tuesday, with live coverage on Sky Sports. Britain's Jack Draper has withdrawn from the tournament due to a knee injury that also forced him to curtail his participation in the Barcelona Open. Draper joins a list of high-profile withdrawals, including Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic. The 2024 US Open semi-finalist will also miss the Italian Open next month but aims to return for the French Open in May. Draper stated, 'I have an aggravated tendon in my knee, which means I won't be able to compete in Madrid and Rome. Although it's frustrating, I'm relieved it's not a more serious issue, and my recovery is progressing well. I'm optimistic about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros and look forward to building momentum from there.' 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 begin her campaign against American Taylor Townsend in the first round, with a potential second-round meeting against fifth seed Jessica Pegula. Boulter has defeated Townsend in all their previous encounters but hasn't faced 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. Although Alcaraz and Djokovic are notable absentees, Jannik Sinner is the top seed and has received a first-round bye. The ATP and WTA Tours can be watched live on Sky Sports or streamed with NOW and the Sky Sports app, providing Sky Sports customers with access to over 50 per cent more live sports at no extra cost.