The Mutua Madrid Open draw has been announced, with live coverage starting on Tuesday on Sky Sports. British tennis player Jack Draper has withdrawn from the competition as he continues to recover from a knee injury that forced him to pull out of the Barcelona Open.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. The 2024 US Open semi-finalist will also miss the Italian Open next month but is targeting a return 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 progressing well. I'm optimistic 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 reached the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open last week, following 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 won all three of their previous encounters, although 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. If Boulter wins, she will face 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 has a first-round bye. Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, with Sky Sports customers accessing over 50% more live sports this year at no extra cost.