Jack Draper targets off-season comeback with nearly $1 million on the line

Jack Draper's time on the sidelines is scheduled to end at an off-season exhibition, and he could earn a substantial prize money amount.

The 23-year-old's most recent appearance was at the 2025 US Open. After winning in the opening round, he withdrew from the season's final Grand Slam because of an arm injury that became too difficult to manage.

Soon after, Draper announced that his season was over because of that injury. He missed a guaranteed $1.5 million appearance fee at the 2025 Six Kings Slam and was replaced by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Draper also almost certainly would have qualified for the 2025 ATP Finals had he been able to finish the season. His forced absence has provided opportunities for other players to qualify, such as Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

If fit and ready, the Briton's first appearance since the US Open will not come at an ATP event. He is among the players announced for the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in London, which will be held from December 5th to 7th.

The Ultimate Tennis Showdown, commonly abbreviated to UTS, has a few editions during the year and is known for its unique format and fast-paced style, enjoyed by the fans who watch it.

Rather than using the traditional scoring system, matches are divided into timed quarters. There are only 15 seconds between points, and players can decide to take a coaching timeout if necessary.

The previous 2025 iterations were held in Guadalajara, Nimes, and Hong Kong, being won by Tomas Machac, Casper Ruud, and Francisco Cerundolo. Alex de Minaur triumphed at the 2024 London edition.

So far, former UTS champions Draper, Ruud, and de Minaur have been announced. Hopefully, the other confirmed players in the coming weeks will also generate excitement and encourage fans to buy tickets.

In 2023, Draper earned in excess of $500,000 for triumphing at the 2023 UTS London. This year's champion will earn a maximum of $921,800 for being the best player at the off-season exhibition.

The total prize money commitment from the tournament is $1.865 million, distributed across the various players. That undoubtedly influences ATP stars' decision to participate in an event held during the off-season.

Calls for the tennis calendar to be shortened and made less intense have grown in recent months. Holger Rune's horrific Achilles injury at the 2025 Stockholm Open, which could keep him out for a year, generated a backlash from some players.

Draper was among those who commented after Rune's injury. Although the 2025 Indian Wells Open champion acknowledged that injuries happen, he thinks the season being shortened would be wise.

Taylor Fritz also passionately called for a reformed schedule to ensure longevity. But players then deciding to play in off-season events instead of using that time for rest and recovery ahead of 2026 irritates some fans.

Players also did not react negatively to the announcement of a new Masters 1000 tournament in Saudi Arabia, which might indicate that the financial rewards matter most to several players.