Jack Draper’s season has taken a dramatic turn. After exiting the French Open early and slipping out of the ATP top‑100, the 24‑year‑old left‑hander now battles a string of injuries that could see him facing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon under less than ideal circumstances. Since his return to competition in February, Draper has managed only nine matches across five tournaments.
His most recent appearance ended abruptly at the Barcelona Open, where he retired in the first round against Tomas Etcheverry. Medical examinations later revealed an aggravated knee‑tendon problem, compounding an earlier left‑arm issue that kept him out of the Australian Open and sidelined him for six months. Last year Draper’s rise was meteoric. A run to the Madrid Open final earned him 680 ranking points, propelling him to a career‑high No.
28. Those points are now set to drop off, and with the loss of another 400 points from his performances in Rome and Paris the previous season, he is projected to tumble to around No.
49 before the final deduction pushes him beyond the top‑100. The timing is crucial because the Wimbledon entry list is based on the rankings before the drop, allowing him to gain direct entry, but he will do so unseeded and could draw a top seed such as Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev or a fit Carlos Alcaraz in the opening round.
The British player has chosen to skip the grueling best‑of‑five format of Roland‑Garros, opting instead to focus on recovery for the upcoming grass‑court swing. This decision was echoed by former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who noted that the physical demands of clay – long rallies, sliding and extended matches – make a full‑strength return unrealistic when an athlete is still nursing an arm injury. "We knew it would be a tough year to come back after injury, but it’s always disappointing to miss a Grand Slam," Bartoli told Sky Sports. "You need to be at 100 % for a tournament like Roland‑Garros." Former British doubles specialist Colin Fleming also weighed in, suggesting that the prospect of best‑of‑five matches was a key factor in Draper’s withdrawal.
"He was back on court hitting, but you have to ask yourself whether you’re ready to endure five‑set matches on clay," Fleming said. "He believes he can beat the top players, which makes the news sad, but we hope he’s fit for the grass season." If Draper can stay healthy, his first grass‑court test could be the Stuttgart Open, which kicks off on June 8. He previously captured his maiden 2024 title there, and a strong showing would be a confidence boost ahead of the Queen’s Club Championships (the HSBC Championships) the following week.
Success on grass would also give him valuable match play before Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, June 29. Draper’s recent highlights include a spectacular upset at Indian Wells, where, in only his second ATP event after a long‑term injury layoff, he defeated 24‑time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic to reach the quarter‑finals. Bartoli recalled that moment as a sign of Draper getting back on track, but warned that a sudden break in momentum can be mentally taxing. "You can recover physically, but watching other players compete while you’re sidelined is difficult for any athlete," she explained.
Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski has also cautioned Draper to proceed carefully. On his "Off Court with Greg Rusedski" podcast, Rusedski noted, "The shoulder was finally good, then the knee goes out. You have six to seven months off, then you start to gain momentum, only to be hit by a new injury.
The best players have the belief to take the extra time they need, because rushing back can lead to another setback." Looking ahead, Draper’s immediate priority is to heal fully and rebuild his match fitness on faster surfaces. The grass‑court season offers a less physically demanding environment compared with the clay of Roland‑Garros, and a strong run could restore some of the ranking points lost this year.
However, his absence from the French Open also means missing out on valuable points that could have helped him retain a higher ranking and avoid the unseeded draw at Wimbledon. Beyond Wimbledon, Draper’s schedule includes key hard‑court events in Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati, which will be vital for accumulating the points needed to re‑enter the top‑100 and secure direct entries into future Grand Slams, including the US Open.
The next few months will be a test of both his physical resilience and mental fortitude as he navigates recovery, match play, and the pressure of expectations after a breakthrough season that saw him claim his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and reach finals in Doha and Madrid. In summary, Jack Draper’s career trajectory has been interrupted by a cascade of injuries that forced him out of the French Open and caused a steep ranking drop. While he has opted to forego the demanding clay season to focus on recovery, his path back to the top will depend on staying healthy, performing well on grass, and capitalising on the upcoming hard‑court swing to regain lost points.
Fans and pundits alike hope that the British talent can return to form and once again challenge the sport’s elite on the biggest stages.