Robson Warns Draper Against Entering French Open Underprepared

According to Sky Sports Tennis analyst Laura Robson, Jack Draper should avoid entering the French Open without sufficient preparation. Draper recently withdrew from upcoming ATP events in Madrid and Rome due to a knee injury. He retired from the Barcelona Open first-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry because of the issue in his right knee. Although Draper will miss the Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, he is targeting the French Open at Roland-Garros in May. Robson believes this is positive news for Draper, who has been recovering from a long-standing elbow issue that kept him out for most of the 2025 season. Last month, Draper defended his title in Indian Wells, where he defeated Novak Djokovic before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Robson stated that Draper took the time to ensure he was 100 percent recovered, but unfortunately, he now has a knee issue that often occurs when compensating for another injury. The good news is that this is just a tendon issue. Draper is expected to participate in events in Hamburg or Geneva, the week before the French Open, to get some much-needed practice. Robson said, 'He's looking to take a couple of weeks off now after having to retire from his match in Barcelona last week, but he is hopeful of being able to play Roland-Garros, and if not, the week before.' Fellow Brit Emma Raducanu also withdrew from the Madrid Open as she continues to recover from post-viral symptoms. Raducanu is back in training and hopes to play in Rome at the start of May. Robson said, 'If only we knew when Raducanu will return to action. She's still struggling with the effects of a viral illness that she picked up back in February.' Raducanu reunited with coach Mark Petchey on an ad-hoc basis while working with hitting partner Alexis Canter. Robson stated that Raducanu's current coaching situation is purely a health-related issue and that she needs to practice and feel confident before returning to the match court.