Jack Draper withdraws from French Open with ongoing knee tendon injury
Britain’s Jack Draper will miss the French Open and the remainder of the clay-court season due to an ongoing right knee tendon injury.
The 24-year-old hopes to return for the grass-court swing in June but faces a significant drop in the world rankings.
The former British number one retired from his only clay-court match of the season in Barcelona earlier this month.
He subsequently withdrew from back-to-back ATP 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome before confirming his absence from Roland Garros.
Cautious approach to Grand Slam return
“My knee is on the mend and I’ve started back hitting balls but unfortunately I have been advised not to play Roland Garros.”
“As gutting as it is to miss another Slam, the advice is not to rush straight back into playing five-set tennis on clay.”
The tournament in Spain was just the fourth event of the 2024 US Open semi-finalist’s comeback from bone bruising in his serving arm.
That severe arm issue had sidelined the left-hander for most of the period since last year’s Wimbledon.
“Off the back of the arm injury, I’ve been restricted with my training and by giving myself the time to heal and build, I can be the player I want to be out there once again.”
Ranking drop and grass-court targets
Currently ranked 28th in the world, the Indian Wells champion will fall to around 50th following the conclusion of the Madrid Open.
This sharp decline is a result of losing 650 ranking points from his runner-up finish in the Spanish capital last year.
He will also be unable to recoup the points earned during strong runs at last year’s Italian Open and Roland Garros.
If fully fit, the rising star could begin his grass-court season at the Stuttgart Open on 8 June before heading home to Queen’s Club.
Consequently, he now has virtually no chance of being seeded for Wimbledon and will likely face a tough early draw at the All England Club.
Promising season disrupted by physical setbacks
The British talent enjoyed a brilliant start to 2025, claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title in California and peaking at fourth in the world.
During that impressive run at Indian Wells, he secured a statement victory over 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.
However, his promising early career has been continually frustrated by a series of shoulder, hip, and arm injuries.
Establishing long-term fitness will now be the primary concern as he aims to challenge top-tier rivals like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz over the coming decade.
