British tennis player Jack Draper will miss the remainder of the 2026 season as he continues to deal with a persistent injury to his left arm. The 24-year-old former world No. 4 announced Tuesday that he plans to return to the ATP Tour at the start of 2027, ending a difficult campaign that has limited him to 15 matches and kept him out of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
Draper said on Instagram that the prolonged physical and emotional strain had left him fatigued and that he needed time away from competition. “I am taking this time to reset and heal so when I return I am 100% ready to go.” He said tennis remains his passion and that he hopes to return next year fully prepared to compete at the level he believes he can reach.
Draper has battled bone bruising in his dominant left arm since 2025, with the problem repeatedly disrupting his attempts to return to competition. A separate right knee injury also sidelined him earlier this year. After reaching the semifinals at Eastbourne in June, he withdrew from Wimbledon because of another recurrence of the arm issue and later missed the U.S. Open. His most recent appearance came Aug. 13 at the Cincinnati Open, where he lost in the first round to Spain’s Martín Landaluce.
The injury has dramatically altered Draper’s trajectory after he reached a career-high No. 4 ranking in 2025, won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 title and established himself as one of Britain’s leading players. His ranking has since fallen to No. 155, according to Tuesday’s reports. Draper also reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2024, his best Grand Slam result.
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