Jack Draper has been forced to withdraw from the French Open after failing to recover from a knee tendon injury, the latest disruption to a career that less than a year ago had him ranked among the world’s top four.
The 24-year-old British No 1 retired during his first-round match against Tomás Martín Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open earlier this month, having aggravated the injury on his return from an eight‑month layoff caused by an arm problem. Subsequent scans confirmed tendon damage, and although Draper initially hoped to be fit for the year’s second grand slam, he has now accepted medical advice not to risk best‑of‑five‑set tennis on clay. He has also withdrawn from the ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.
Writing on Instagram, Draper said: “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. Off the back of the arm injury I sustained last year, 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. See you soon!”
Draper will now turn his attention to the grass‑court season, hoping to avoid a repeat of the long absences that have plagued his progress.
Career trajectory under threat from recurring injuries
Draper’s withdrawal from Roland Garros is the most punishing blow yet in a pattern of physical setbacks that has repeatedly interrupted his climb. Since returning to competitive action in February this year, he has managed only nine matches across five events. The arm injury that sidelined him for the best part of eight months – itself preceded by a bone‑bruising issue in his serving arm that kept him off the tour after Wimbledon last year, with the exception of one match at the US Open – already cost him crucial ranking points. An abdominal muscle injury had forced him out of the Miami Open in 2023.
Yet just under a year ago Draper sat at No 4 in the world, a career high reached on 9 June 2025, and was widely regarded as a potential challenger to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the biggest titles. His best Grand Slam performance came at the 2024 US Open, where he reached the semi‑finals, and he has won three ATP Tour titles – Stuttgart in June 2024, Vienna in October 2024, and the prestigious Indian Wells Masters 1000 in March 2025. In March this year he reached the quarter‑finals at Indian Wells, defeating Novak Djokovic en route.
Currently ranked No 28, Draper is now almost certain to fall outside the top 100 by the time he returns to competition, because he will be unable to defend the ranking points he earned during his peak period. The combination of arm, knee and abdominal injuries has prevented him from building sustained momentum, and each layoff forces him to start again from a lower base.
Other British players battling fitness problems
The struggles are not limited to Draper. Emma Raducanu has been sidelined since early February with post‑viral symptoms and has not played a match in more than seven weeks; she withdrew from the Madrid Open and, although listed as an alternate for the French Open main draw, is not expected to feature. Sonay Kartal has ruled herself out of Roland Garros with a back injury sustained at the Miami Open, while Fran Jones and Jacob Fearnley have also been hampered by fitness issues.
At the Madrid Open, Cameron Norrie – currently ranked No 23 and due to return to the world’s top 20 next month – and Katie Boulter (No 61, with a career‑high of No 23) were the only British singles players. The same duo may represent Britain in Rome next week unless Raducanu recovers in time.
The main draw of the French Open begins on 24 May, with the women’s final scheduled for 6 June and the men’s final for 7 June.
