Jack Draper broke down in tears after succumbing to France's Terence Atmane at the Canadian Open, a match that highlighted the return of the long‑standing arm injury that has plagued the young Briton. This was only Draper's sixth tournament of the season and his first appearance since withdrawing from Wimbledon, yet the physical setback quickly became evident as he fell 6‑3, 2‑6, 6‑2.
The opening set saw Draper struggling to find his rhythm, producing a series of unforced errors that allowed Atmane to seize an early advantage. After a shaky start, the Englishman appeared to regain his footing in the second set, unleashing a wave of aggressive baseline play and powerful serves that forced Atmane into a defensive position.
Draper’s resurgence earned him a convincing 6‑2 win in that set, suggesting that the injury might have been under control. However, the momentum did not carry over into the deciding set. As the third set progressed, observers noted a marked decline in the speed and depth of Draper’s strokes.
His once‑potent serve lost its snap, and his groundstrokes lacked the usual bite, indicating that pain was likely limiting his ability to generate power. When the score reached 4‑1 in Atmane's favor, Draper abruptly sat down during the change‑over and began to sob uncontrollably.
The emotional outburst was captured on camera, with the 24‑year‑old visibly shaking as he tried to compose himself. Despite the tears, Draper fought back valiantly, managing to break Atmane’s serve once before holding his own serve to keep the set alive.
Yet the physical discomfort was too great, and Atmane ultimately closed the match after a total duration of one hour and 52 minutes. Draper’s recent rise in the rankings had positioned him as a credible challenger to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He reached a career‑high world No.
4 in June 2025, a testament to his rapid development and aggressive playing style. Unfortunately, his ascent has been hampered by a bone bruise in his left arm that first emerged earlier this year. The injury, described by his team as a “bone bruise,” has persisted, causing intermittent pain and limiting his capacity to serve at full strength.
In 2026, Draper managed to reach the quarter‑finals at Indian Wells in March and the semi‑finals at Eastbourne in June, but those achievements have been interspersed with periods of inactivity due to the lingering arm issue. Since May, former world No. 1 Andy Murray has been part of Draper’s coaching staff, providing strategic guidance and mental support. Montreal marked only the second tournament in which Draper could compete under Murray’s tutelage, underscoring the challenges of maintaining consistent match play.
Looking ahead, Draper holds a wild‑card entry into the upcoming Cincinnati Open. Nonetheless, the Montreal defeat raises fresh concerns about his fitness for that event and for the US Open, which begins at the end of August. The uncertainty surrounding his arm could force him to withdraw or compete at a reduced level, potentially altering the competitive landscape of the hard‑court season.
British tennis fans found a glimmer of optimism elsewhere. Jacob Fearnley secured a straight‑sets victory over veteran Adrian Mannarino, 7‑6(4), 6‑4, earning a place in the next round where he will meet 13th seed Jakub Mensik. Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie continued his campaign with a win over 29th seed Ignacio Buse, keeping his own US Open aspirations alive. Sky Sports analyst Annabel Croft, who was commentating on Draper’s match, described the scene as "very upsetting" and emphasized the emotional weight of the moment.
She noted, "He’s bent over and literally erupting with emotion here. It’s very, very upsetting to see." Croft speculated that the arm pain was the primary trigger for Draper’s 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 explained that the injury appeared to flare up again, affecting Draper’s ability to generate pace on his serve.
"He actually played a very decent second set and it was looking fairly positive, but then there was this massive drop‑off of pace on that serve. It was very obvious very quickly that he was not going after big serves, he was rolling them in. He hasn’t really hit a serve since, and hasn’t really gone after many groundstrokes either," she observed.
The tournament also delivered disappointing news for other top players. Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Open to continue recovering from a right‑wrist injury, casting doubt on his readiness to defend his US Open title.
Alcaraz, still ranked world No. 2 despite his inactivity since April, missed the chance to compete at the French Open and was forced to sit out Wimbledon, further complicating his schedule.
Fans can follow the National Bank Open, which features both the WTA Tour in Toronto and the ATP Tour in Montreal, through live broadcasts on Sky Sports or via streaming platforms such as NOW and the Sky Sports app. The coverage offers Sky Sports subscribers access to more than half of the live sport content for the year at no additional cost. For more details, viewers are encouraged to visit the official Sky Sports website.