Jack Draper withdraws from yet another event despite brief comeback

Saturday, 07 February 2026 at 16:25

byErik Virostko

Jack Draper returned to the tennis courts to represent his country at the Davis Cup, but he withdrew from his next event shortly after.

Draper had a great start to the 2025 season, but the way it ended was disappointing. He missed all the events between the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, where he withdrew after playing one singles match.

The British player then withdrew from the Australian Open as well, but he has now finally returned to the tennis courts. Draper travelled to Oslo, Norway, to help his country in the Davis Cup Qualifiers. Norway hosted the tie at the Nadderud Arena, but even the home arena didn't help the Norwegian team.

Great Britain dominated the tie, winning all four matches, including the one played by Jack Draper, who beat the ATP world No. 329, Viktor Durasovic, in two sets, 6-2, 6-2. It was an impressive win for Draper, even though he was maybe a bit uncomfortable in the cold conditions in Oslo, as he joked after the match.

"It’s really good to play here in Oslo, to have my first match in a long time, to get a point on the board for Great Britain. I haven’t played Davis Cup in a long time so it’s good to be here and proud of my performance today. I remember playing here when I was 11 or 12 years old. It’s very cold, but it’s a special feeling to be back here."

Despite winning his first match back, Draper chose not to compete at the Rotterdam Open, which was the next tournament he signed up for. The Rotterdam Open runs from February 9th to 15th, and, if healthy, Draper would have been one of the top favorites to win.

However, as he announced in his statement, he was advised against rushing his comeback, so his withdrawal was precautionary to avoid worsening his injury troubles.

"While I am feeling positive about how my recovery is going I have been advised not to rush straight out and potentially compete in back-to-back matches. As disappointed as I am not to be back out there, overall I am trending in the right direction."

Draper still plans to compete at the Dubai Championships before travelling to the United States. The ATP 500 event in Dubai runs from February 23rd to 28th. After that, Draper, like the rest of the players, will travel to the United States to play at the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open.

The 24-year-old won the title in Indian Wells last year, so he will be the defending champion. That means that if he doesn't replicate his run, he might lose up to 1,000 points, which would significantly impact his ranking.