Jack Draper will not play again this season, a decision that leaves his ranking and entry into early tournaments at risk as he targets a comeback at the start of next year. The 24-year-old has been sidelined by bone bruising in his serving arm and has appeared just nine times on tour since last year’s Wimbledon.
Draper missed the US Open after first-round defeats in Montreal and Cincinnati last month. He was visibly emotional during his loss to France’s Terence Atmane in Canada. Draper addressed supporters on social media, saying, "I am taking this time to reset and heal so when I return I am 100% ready to go," and adding, "Tennis is my purpose and passion and so when I step back on court I want to make sure that there's nothing holding me back from where I want to go."
There are immediate competitive consequences. Draper will not qualify for a protected ranking if he does return in January, because only players who are out for over six months retain the ranking they had when they left the tour. He is currently ranked 155, which means he would need wildcards or to come through qualifying to enter Grand Slams and ATP Tour events.
Draper reached a career high of four in the world last June after winning his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells and finishing runner-up in Madrid. He said last summer his progress was peaking before a complicated injury made continued performance difficult, and that the prolonged struggle had left him fatigued.
His recovery strategy has included a recent holiday to aid his mental reset, and a gradual return to training is expected over the coming weeks while his team investigates the primary causes of the injury. Draper has been experimenting with natural gut strings, a lighter racquet and changes to his serve, and his diet is also under review as part of attempts to ease the burden on his arm.
Andy Murray remains part of Draper’s coaching setup but will provide a limited number of weeks on the road, so additional coaching support is required. Over the summer Draper worked with LTA coaches James Trotman and Alex Lisiecki, and the team expects to find a permanent coach to work alongside Murray once Draper is ready to return. When he does resume competition, his schedule will be chosen carefully, not only because the bone bruising may not be fully healed by January, but also because of wider concerns about the physical toll the modern game places on players.