The Mutua Madrid Open draw has been announced, with the tournament set to begin on Tuesday and broadcast live on Sky Sports. Unfortunately, Britain's Jack Draper has withdrawn from the competition as he continues to recover from a knee injury that also forced him to pull out of the Barcelona Open.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 is also expected to 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 in a statement. 'It's frustrating, but 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.' Meanwhile, Britain's Cameron Norrie will participate in the tournament and has received a first-round bye.
Norrie recently made the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open and reached the second round in Monte Carlo. Katie Boulter will face American Taylor Townsend in the first round, with a potential meeting against fifth seed Jessica Pegula in the second round. Boulter has a 3-0 head-to-head record against Townsend, although they haven't played since 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 showdown with 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.
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