Sky Sports tennis commentator Laura Robson has cautioned Jack Draper that he must avoid arriving at the French Open in a state of under‑preparation after the British No.2 pulled out of the upcoming ATP tournaments in Madrid and Rome due to a knee problem. Draper, who retired from his first‑round match at the Barcelona Open last Monday after a right‑knee issue flared, confirmed that he will sit out the Madrid Open this week and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in May. Despite these withdrawals, the 2024 US Open semi‑finalist remains focused on the second Grand Slam of the season – Roland‑Garros – which begins later in May. Robson noted that while missing the Madrid event will cause Draper to slip out of the top‑40 rankings, the decision could actually be beneficial.
The young Brit has been managing a lingering elbow injury that kept him off the tour for most of the 2025 season, and a rushed return could exacerbate either problem. "He really took the time out to make sure it was 100 per cent, and unfortunately this is now a knee issue that so often happens when you're coming back from one thing, you compensate, you feel like you haven't been able to get the work in where it needs to happen in the gym and on the practice court," Robson explained to Sky Sports News. She added that the current problem appears to be a tendon irritation rather than a major structural injury, which gives reason for optimism.
The British star’s recent form has been encouraging. After defending his title at Indian Wells – only his second ATP tournament since returning – Draper produced a stunning upset over Novak Djokovic in the round of 16 before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the quarter‑finals. Those performances demonstrated that his game is back on track, but the transition to clay demands a different set of movements and conditioning. Robson emphasized that a premature jump into a best‑of‑five match at Roland‑Garros without sufficient match practice could leave him "undercooked," lacking the intensity and confidence required on the slower surface.
To bridge the gap, Draper is expected to target one of the smaller clay events in Hamburg or Geneva the week before the French Open. Those tournaments would provide valuable match minutes on a similar surface without the pressure of a Grand Slam debut.
"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," Robson said. "We’ll be watching to see whether he enters one of those events to get some match practice because you don't want to go into a best‑of‑five match situation undercooked, feeling ill‑prepared, and without that match intensity. So he's still hopeful that the clay season isn’t over for him." Robson also touched on the situation of fellow Brit Emma Raducanu, who has similarly withdrawn from the Madrid Open while she works on regaining full fitness.
Raducanu skipped the WTA tournaments in Miami and Linz to focus on recovery from post‑viral symptoms that followed an illness she contracted in Romania in early February. The British No.1 also missed Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against Australia. Although she is reportedly back in training and aiming to compete in Rome in early May, she admits the timeline for a full return remains uncertain. "She tried to go and play at the American hardcourts but wasn't able to sustain that consistency and so she is just deciding to take some more time off, but it's kind of a bit of an unknown at the moment," Raducanu said.
Robson clarified that Raducanu’s current challenges are health‑related rather than coaching‑related. After parting ways with Francis Roig following her Australian Open exit, she has been working intermittently with Mark Petchey and hitting partner Alexis Canter. "It's nothing to do with whether you have someone in your camp or not. It doesn't make a difference if you're not able to go out there and practice," Robson noted.
She added that Raducanu has returned to the LTA National Tennis Centre for training, where the infrastructure and coaching expertise remain solid. The key, according to Robson, is simply getting the player back to 100 % health so she can compete with confidence.
Both British players illustrate the delicate balance between ambition and prudence when returning from injury. While the allure of Grand Slam glory is strong, a measured approach that prioritises full recovery and appropriate match preparation can safeguard long‑term career prospects. For Draper, the next few weeks will involve careful monitoring of his knee, targeted training sessions, and possibly a couple of lower‑profile clay events to fine‑tune his game before the demanding two‑week battle at Roland‑Garros. For Raducanu, the focus remains on rebuilding fitness and consistency before re‑entering the high‑stakes WTA calendar.
Fans can follow the evolving stories of these two promising Britons via Sky Sports' live coverage, the Sky Sports app, or the NOW streaming platform, which offers expanded access to ATP and WTA action throughout the season.