Jack Draper Withdraws from Madrid Open Due to Ongoing Knee Injury

The Mutua Madrid Open draw has been announced, with live coverage starting on Tuesday on Sky Sports. Britain's Jack Draper has withdrawn from the competition due to a persistent knee injury that also forced him to pull out of the Barcelona Open. Draper joins a list of high-profile withdrawals, including Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic. He will also miss the Italian Open next month but is aiming to return to action at the French Open in May. 'I have an aggravated tendon in my knee, which means I won't be able to compete in Madrid and Rome,' Draper said. 'Although it's frustrating, I'm relieved it's not a more serious issue, and my recovery is going well. I'm confident about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros and building momentum from there.' Britain's Cameron Norrie will participate in the tournament and has received a first-round bye. Norrie recently reached 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 meeting against fifth seed Jessica Pegula. Boulter has won all three of their previous encounters, but they haven't met 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 receive 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, offering Sky Sports customers over 50% more live sports content at no extra cost.