Jack Draper is heading toward an unlucky Grand Slam milestone as his ongoing injury troubles keep causing problems.
Tennis star Jack Draper had a tough time at the Canadian Open on Tuesday, and now he might miss the US Open, which starts in Queens in mid-August. Draper lost 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to Terence Atmane in Montreal. His ongoing arm injury clearly affected him during the match, and he was in tears in the third set as his chances of playing at the US Open slipped away.
As reported by The Independent, Draper, playing his first tournament since quitting Wimbledon, was visibly upset while trailing 4-1 in the third set. He has been dealing with a painful bone bruise in his left arm for over a year, an injury that has seriously held back his career after reaching number 4 in the world last season. Now, it’s uncertain if he will be able to play at the US Open, where he would need a wildcard or have to go through qualifying after falling outside the top 100 in the world rankings.
Last year, the 24-year-old and his doubles partner Jessica Pegula made it to the mixed doubles semi-finals at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but lost to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud. They are planning to team up again for the 2026 US Open, but Draper’s injury is clearly causing big problems for his plans. Draper also had his best singles performance at the US Open in 2024 when he reached the semi-finals but lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets, although he pushed Sinner hard in the first two sets.
If Draper misses this year’s US Open, it would mean he has been forced out of all four Grand Slam tournaments this year due to injury—a frustrating situation for him. After the mixed doubles semi-final last year, his arm injury made him withdraw from the Australian Open. Then, the injury caused him to pull out of the French Open and finally ended his Wimbledon run early this summer.
The Canadian Open was Draper’s first competition since Wimbledon, and missing the US Open now seems likely. BBC Sport explains that bone bruising is basically internal bleeding inside the bone. Other British players like Arthur Fery and Toby Samuel are also dealing with similar issues.
After missing Wimbledon, Draper said, “These last months have felt like nothing but adversity and setbacks. Finding acceptance and being patient with the process has been my biggest challenge, but I know I’m getting closer to where I want to be!”