Jack Draper was among the seeded players at the upcoming ATP 250 event in Montpellier, but has since confirmed his absence from the tournament.
The Montpellier Open will have an early start in 2024, with main draw action set to commence a day after the conclusion of the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. Draper was part of a competitive field together with his idol Andy Murray in southern France.
But the 22-year-old southpaw has pulled out from the tournament despite an early exit at this year's Australian Open. Draper was beaten in the second round of the Melbourne Slam, except that this time, he was expected back on the courts soon.
In a fresh setback, Draper will now miss his next outing at the end of January. The reason for his withdrawal has not been given so far, but it would appear he might have picked up an injury during his stay in Australia, given his documented health record.
Draper infamously threw up at the end of his first-round match against Marcos Giron at the Australian Open. After trailing by two sets to one, Draper salvaged the match and won the next two sets to complete the turnaround.
Soon after, he shook hands with Giron and apologized to his vanquished opponent before running straight to the bin. Draper revealed after the match that he had been going through the "psychological stress" of playing in one of the biggest tournaments in the world.
He needed medical assistance midway through the match to have his blood pressure monitored, having played in harsh weather conditions with temperatures nudging into their thirties last Thursday. However, that tension and tightness in his body dissipated, and Draper eventually won.
But Draper could not follow it up with a victory against Tommy Paul. He had beaten the American quite handsomely in Adelaide a week before the Australian Open. This time, Paul exacted revenge, winning their bout in four sets.
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