Britain’s Jack Draper has announced he has had to pull out of the upcoming French Open due to a knee tendon injury, making him a doubt for Wimbledon also.
It is another blow in the former world No 4’s attempts to re-establish himself following the long-term arm injury that ruled him out for the best part of eight months.
Draper has managed just nine matches across five events since returning in February and retired during his first-round clash with Tomas Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open earlier this month.
He was subsequently diagnosed with an aggravated knee tendon injury and had initially hoped to return ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year next month.
He wrote on his Instagram story: “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!”
It is another dispiriting setback for the 24-year-old, who less than a year ago was ranked in the world’s top four and appeared a potential challenger to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the major titles.
Now he joins Alcaraz in missing Roland Garros and is almost certain to be outside the top 100 in the rankings when he returns.
The news continues a disappointing season overall for the leading British contenders, with Emma Raducanu still sidelined as she recovers from post-viral symptoms following an illness in early February.
The 24-year-old previously missed eight months of tennis due to a persistent arm injury, only recently returning
Sonay Kartal has already ruled herself out of the French Open with a back injury suffered at the Miami Open last month, while Fran Jones and Jacob Fearnley have also been struggling with fitness issues.
Cameron Norrie, who is set to return to the world’s top 20 next month, and Katie Boulter were the only British players in singles at the current Madrid Open, and it could well be the same for the Italian Open in Rome next week.
Raducanu is back in training and could play at the Foro Italico, with the British No 1 set to make a decision later this week.
Draper, meanwhile, could potentially return at the grass-court tournament in Stuttgart, where he won his first title in 2024.
That begins on June 8, with the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club taking place in London the following week
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