Jack Draper was left visibly distraught after his defeat to France’s Terence Atmane at the Canadian Open, where the lingering effects of a chronic arm injury seemed to resurface and undermine his performance. This was only his sixth tournament of the calendar year and marked his first appearance since withdrawing from Wimbledon due to the same physical issue. In a tightly contested three‑set battle, Draper fell 6‑3, 2‑6, 6‑2 to Atmane, a result that left the 24‑year‑old British hopeful in tears during the match. The opening set saw Draper struggling to find his rhythm, his shots appearing tentative and his serve lacking its usual power.
After a shaky start, he managed to turn the tide in the second set, dominating with aggressive groundstrokes and a more confident serve, ultimately taking the set 6‑2. However, the momentum was short‑lived. In the deciding set, the quality of his play deteriorated dramatically; the velocity on his serve and the depth of his baseline shots dwindled, suggesting that pain was interfering with his mechanics.
With the score at 4‑1 in Atmane’s favour, Draper abruptly sat down during a change‑over and began to sob uncontrollably. The emotional outburst lasted for the entire interval, and he appeared unable to compose himself when play resumed.
Despite this, the young Brit managed to stay competitive, breaking Atmane’s serve once before holding his own serve with renewed determination. Ultimately, Atmane closed out the match after 112 minutes of play, securing the win while Draper struggled to maintain any semblance of his earlier form. Draper’s rise in recent years has positioned him as one of the few players capable of challenging the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He reached a career‑high ranking of world No.
4 in June 2025, a testament to his rapid development and consistency on the tour. Unfortunately, his progress has been hampered by a bone bruise in his left arm that first manifested earlier this season. The injury has persisted, limiting his ability to generate the power that has become his trademark. In 2026, Draper demonstrated flashes of his potential with a quarter‑final appearance at Indian Wells in March and a semi‑final run at Eastbourne in June.
Yet, the inconsistency caused by his arm problem has prevented him from sustaining a regular presence on the court. Since May, former world No. 1 Andy Murray has been part of Draper’s coaching team, offering both strategic guidance and emotional support.
Montreal, however, was only the second tournament in which Draper competed under Murray’s mentorship, leaving many observers wondering whether the partnership will yield more stable results. Looking ahead, Draper has secured a wild‑card entry into the upcoming Cincinnati Open.
Nevertheless, his recent Montreal loss raises fresh concerns about his fitness for that event and the US Open, which begins at the end of August. The British press also highlighted a brighter note for the nation’s tennis scene: Jacob Fearnley defeated Adrian Mannarino 7‑6(4), 6‑4 to advance to the next round, and Cameron Norrie is set to face 29th‑seed Ignacio Buse after his own first‑round victory. Sky Sports analyst Annabel Croft, who was commentating on Draper’s match, described the scene as “very upsetting.” She recounted Draper’s emotional breakdown, noting, “He’s bent over and literally erupting with emotion here.
It’s very, very upsetting to see.” Croft speculated that the pain in Draper’s arm was the primary trigger for his tears, adding, “I can only assume that the arm is hurting. He couldn’t hold it in and he let it all out. You just wonder what is going through his mind for all that emotion to be there.” Croft further analyzed the match dynamics, observing that Draper’s second‑set performance was promising but that his serve lost its bite in the third set. “He wasn’t going after big serves; he was rolling them in.
He hasn’t really hit a serve since, and hasn’t really gone after any too many ground strokes either,” she explained, underscoring how the injury forced him to temper his aggressive style. The broader ATP Tour also faced injury‑related setbacks, with Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open due to a right‑wrist problem.
Alcaraz’s absence fuels speculation about his readiness to defend his US Open title later in the month. Despite not having played competitively since April, Alcaraz remains world No. 2, but his wrist issue forced him out of the French Open and jeopardized his Wimbledon campaign.
Fans can watch the National Bank Open, featuring both the WTA event in Toronto and the ATP competition in Montreal, through to the finals on August 13 via Sky Sports or the NOW streaming platform. Sky Sports subscribers also have access to additional live sport coverage at no extra cost, with more than half of the upcoming events available through the Sky Sports app.
In summary, Draper’s emotional display in Montreal underscores the ongoing battle between his rising talent and the physical limitations imposed by his arm injury. While his partnership with Andy Murray offers hope for a more resilient future, the immediate challenge remains: managing his health to return to the level that propelled him to a top‑four ranking and to compete effectively in the upcoming North‑American swing and the US Open.