Jack Draper's difficult summer continued in Cincinnati on Thursday, as the British left-hander fell to Spanish youngster Martin Landaluce in straight sets, losing 6-3, 7-5 in what became a painful tale of missed opportunities.
Dropper entered the match still searching for rhythm following his first-round defeat to Terence Atmane in Montreal just over a week prior. Concerns about a reaggravated left-arm injury, which originally struck in June 2025 around the time Draper reached a career-high ranking of fourth in the world, had loomed large heading into Cincinnati. A return to practice courts before the tournament offered some reassurance, and at least he appeared to finish this match without any obvious physical setbacks.
On court, Draper was broken in the very first game and ceded the opener before mounting a spirited fightback in the second set. After securing a double-break to lead 5-2, the 24-year-old looked primed to level the contest and force a decisive third set. What followed, however, was a collapse that will sting for some time. He failed to convert six separate set points across three consecutive games, allowing Landaluce to break twice and draw level at 5-5. Draper then saved a match point before creating one last chance to push the set to a tiebreak, but Landaluce refused to buckle and closed out the match in just under two hours.
The Briton cut a visibly dejected figure in the final stages, and with the US Open beginning in New York on August 30, finding form and confidence quickly is now absolutely critical.
TennisDraw users had Draper penciled in as a deep run contender before Cincinnati, making this early exit one of the bigger bracket-busting results of the week.
