Jack Draper hasn't been seen on a tennis court since losing in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships, and he has now finally provided an update on his physical condition.
Draper was one of the favorites to win at Wimbledon this year. He played in the Queen's Club semi-finals, and as a home player, he was among those considered to be favorites. Some would put him as the top favorite right after Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic.
The Brit, however, surprisingly lost already in the second round to an experienced Marin Cilic. After that, he was scheduled to compete in Toronto and Cincinnati, but withdrew from both tournaments.
Seeing a player withdraw from both ATP Masters 1000 tournaments ahead of a Grand Slam tournament is never a good sign. Matteo Berrettini, for example, missed both events in North America and subsequently withdrew from the US Open.
It seems that Draper doesn't plan to do the same. Speaking to the British LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), he detailed the nature of his injury, explaining that he has been struggling with his arm.
"I found out I had an injury in my arm, which I had been playing with for a little while. The doctors and my team advised me that I’d need to take some time out. I had a few days off, so I chilled and took my mind off tennis."
"Then I was really motivated to come back and do a really good fitness block and work myself hard physically to make some good gains. I got back to my tennis slowly to protect my arm, but it’s been a really productive few weeks now. It was disappointing to miss Toronto and Cincinnati, but I think it’s been a good period for me to reflect on things and improve."
"I’m really looking forward to going out to the US Open, and I’m in a great place personally and tennis-wise. I feel refreshed, motivated, and I can’t wait to get back out there."
Draper is looking forward to challenging Alcaraz and Sinner
Despite having to spend a few weeks away from the tennis courts, Draper wants to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He is the highest-ranked player under 24 years of age behind these two, and he enjoys playing them.
"Jannik and Carlos are the best two players in the world right now. They are playing tennis, which is very exciting to watch; it’s electric. There are no holes in their game; they are so consistent and powerful. Mentally, they are both very experienced now on the big stages, and they are both complete players. Saying that, they can still improve, so it’s really exciting to be around them."
"They are leading the way, but there are players like me who are hungry to go beyond their level and will do anything to get to where they are playing. I’m looking forward to many more matchups with them to come."
Draper targets ATP Finals debut despite injury hiatus
Despite missing the tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati, Draper wants to compete at the ATP Finals. It would mark his debut at the year-end event, but he still has to work hard to secure his spot.
The 23-year-old Brit is currently ranked seventh in the 2025 ATP Race, with the first eight players qualifying for the tournament. He has a 270-point lead over ninth-place Lorenzo Musetti, who is the first player outside of the Top 8 at the moment.
"The ATP Finals is definitely something I’ve got my eyes on. At the start of the year, it was one of my goals because if you make the Finals, you’ve had a very consistent season, and that was my biggest thing going into this season to maintain."
"Obviously, I’ve picked up an injury and missed a few tournaments, but like always, I’m going to give it my best. My preparation has been great, I keep on improving, and if I make it, great, but if I don’t, life moves on, and I’ll keep striving to be better."
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