Jack Draper becomes latest tennis star to pull out of US Open as Brit’s miserable year continues

JACK DRAPER has withdrawn from the US Open due to injury as his miserable year continued. The Brit will not play in the New York Slam as he needs more time to recover from a persistent arm issue before committing to the rigours of five-set tennis. British tennis star Jack Draper has pulled out of the US Open Credit: Getty Draper hasn’t played any Grand Slam tennis since withdrawing from last year’s US Open Credit: Getty It is not known when Draper will next be on court and there is a concern he might miss the rest of the calendar year. His camp say it has been a “tough period” for him as he struggled to appear on court for any consistent or prolonged basis. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! It means he has played ZERO Grand Slam tennis since pulling out of the 2025 US Open second round. Draper has played just 15 matches in 2026 and pulled out of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon Championships. The 24-year-old broke down in tears and then claimed he had hit “rock bottom” when he lost to Frenchman Terence Atmane at the Montreal Masters earlier this month. And he was dumped out of the Cincinnati Masters, losing 6-3 7-5 to Spaniard Martin Landaluce in the first round despite blowing SIX second-set set-points. Though he is ranked 143rd in the world, he is set to drop even lower in the coming months and without a protected ranking against his name, he will have to rely on wild cards. If he had been fit, Draper would have needed a wild card to play at the US Open – he was a semi-finalist in 2024 – or he would have gone through qualifying. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Tennis stars’ new careers It also means that the partnership with Andy Murray will not happen at one of the four Slams until at least the 2027 Australian Open. The former British No.1 pulled out of Wimbledon at the last minute – he was due to face American big-server Taylor Fritz – because of an ongoing arm problem. In Eastbourne, Draper revealed his fears that a painful arm issue “might never go away” – as he worries he could lose serving explosivity due to two “chronic” injuries. In April 2025, Britain’s top male tennis prospect suffered bone bruising in his left arm. Then a form of knee tendinitis – which he has had “for a long time” – became “extremely inflamed” and saw him retire from the Barcelona Open on April 13. During a tumultuous 12-month period, Draper was tested mentally and admits he struggled behind-the-scenes, confiding his concerns to only his family and friends. Several hours before Draper’s announcement, two-time Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner said he would not take part as he is still struggling with a right knee problem. Sinner, 25, said: “Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year.” Comment now