Jack Draper's comeback hopes have been dealt yet another cruel blow after the British star withdrew from the Washington DC Open less than a day before he was due to face Alex Michelsen in the first round. The recurring forearm problem that cost him Wimbledon has flared up again, making him the 12th player to pull out of the ATP 500 event and leaving no British men in the draw. Mackenzie McDonald stepped in as his replacement.
The timing stings particularly hard. Draper had been spotted practising at the facility, even winning a practice set against Ben Shelton, suggesting he was close to competitive fitness. Coach Andy Murray was by his side, and optimism was building. Then the arm gave way again.
It has been a relentless cycle of setbacks in 2026. Draper missed the Australian Open entirely, finally returned during the hard-court swing, and turned heads at Indian Wells by beating Novak Djokovic in the fourth round before reaching the quarter-finals. Just when momentum was building, a knee injury at the Barcelona Open wiped out the rest of the clay season, including Roland Garros. A promising run to the Eastbourne semi-finals raised hopes for Wimbledon, only for that withdrawal to follow too. Now Washington joins a growing list.
Draper has managed just 13 matches across the entire season and has slipped outside the top 100. He does not currently appear on entry lists for the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, or the US Open, though he has registered for the Brownsburg ATP 75 Challenger beginning August 10.
In a candid Instagram post, Draper acknowledged months of doubt while expressing genuine gratitude for the lessons adversity is teaching him, closing with a promise to keep persevering. TennisDraw users tracking his projected return will want to watch that Challenger entry closely.
