Draper forced to withdraw from US Open with arm injury
British No 1: ‘It’s a really, really tough decision’
Jack Draper has announced he will miss next month’s Australian Open after admitting he is not quite ready for a return to top-level competition. The British No 1 has played just one match since Wimbledon, with bone bruising in his left arm curtailing his 2025 season, and he is set to be on the sidelines for a little while longer.
Draper, ranked 10th in the world, said in a video on X on Boxing Day: “Unfortunately, me and my team have decided not to head out to Australia this year. It’s a really, really tough decision, obviously [with] Australia being a grand slam, it’s one of the biggest tournaments in our sport.
“However, I’ve had this injury for a long time, I’m at the very, very end stages of the process and to step back on court into best-of-five-set tennis so soon just doesn’t seem like a smart decision right now for me and my tennis.”
