Jack Draper: British star ruled out of the US Open due to ongoing injury woes

21.08.2026, 20:00 skysports.com

British star Jack Draper has been ruled out of the US Open as he continues to battle a bone bruise in his dominant left arm.

After two dispiriting matches in the United States, Draper has concluded he needs more time to recover, according to sources close to the player.

The news, which came only a couple of hours after world No 1 Jannik Sinner announced he would miss the tournament with a knee injury, means Draper will not have played in a single Grand Slam event this year.

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The former world No 4 said he was in a "difficult place" after a first-round defeat to Martin Landaluce in the Cincinnati Open last week, admitting he could not escape the mental fatigue borne out of battling serious injury for 15 months.

Draper told the Guardian: "It's the same as last week, the way I'm usually able to fight for every ball and conduct myself, it's just missing.

"Obviously, the conditions and all the things that I'm changing is very hard to manage, but I think from just an internal point of view, it's a difficult place to be right now."

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Draper has made a host of changes to attempt to reduce the strain on his left arm. Since Wimbledon, the 24-year-old has changed his strings and his racket and he continues to adjust his service motion.

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He admits managing it is a constant challenge, saying: "It's got to a point with me where it's taken probably one of my biggest qualities, my fighting spirit.

"There's a level of chronic pain that's always with you. When you've got that on your playing arm - this is my life, this is my career, you know?

"When you've got an injury that is tough to come past and tough to understand, there's many challenges, there's many obstacles."

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