The Mutua Madrid Open draw has been announced, with the tournament set to begin on Tuesday and broadcast live on Sky Sports. Unfortunately for British tennis fans, Jack Draper has withdrawn from the competition due to a lingering knee injury that also forced him to pull out of the Barcelona Open.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. The 24-year-old's injury will also prevent him from participating in next month's Italian Open, but he is optimistic about his chances of recovering in time for the French Open in May.
'I've got an aggravated tendon in my knee, which means I won't be able to play in Madrid and Rome,' Draper said in a statement. 'It's frustrating, but I'm relieved it's not a more serious issue, and my recovery is progressing well.' Britain's Cameron Norrie will be competing in the tournament and has received a first-round bye, following his quarter-final appearance at the Barcelona Open last week. Katie Boulter will face American Taylor Townsend in the first round, with a potential second-round matchup against fifth seed Jessica Pegula on the horizon.
Boulter has a perfect 3-0 record against Townsend, although their last meeting was in Beijing in 2024. A victory would set up a showdown with Pegula, who recently won her second WTA title of the season in Charleston. Despite the absence of Alcaraz and Djokovic, the tournament will feature top seed Jannik Sinner, who has also received a first-round bye.
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