British tennis star Jack Draper has withdrawn from Wimbledon just 24 hours before his opening-round match after suffering a recurrence of the arm injury that has troubled him over the past year.
Key Highlight:
- Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Wimbledon Championships just 24 hours before his scheduled first-round match.
- Draper had been due to face American sixth seed Taylor Fritz on Centre Court on Tuesday.
- The 24-year-old described himself as “devastated” after suffering a recurrence of the arm injury that has plagued him over the last year.
- Draper’s withdrawal comes shortly after fellow British star Emma Raducanu also pulled out of Wimbledon because of a stress fracture in her right leg.
- The latest injury setback continues a difficult period for Draper, whose progress on the ATP Tour has been repeatedly interrupted by fitness problems.
Draper, who reached the semi-finals of the Eastbourne International last week, had been scheduled to face American sixth seed Taylor Fritz on Centre Court on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old said he was “devastated” to miss the tournament, with the recurring injury once again denying him the opportunity to compete at a Grand Slam.
“I’m devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first-round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury,” Draper said in a statement.
Read also:
- NTF President Ochei Reaffirms Commitment To Nigerian Tennis
- Keys Defeats Maria Tatjana To Win Third Eastbourne Title
- DavNotch Pledges Bigger Prize Money As 6th National Open Tennis Championship Reaches Grand Finale
- Yusuf, Ogunjobi, Usoh Headline DavNotch Tennis Championship
“There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months, but this one is definitely the absolute worst.”
The withdrawal is another blow for British hopes at Wimbledon, coming a day after Emma Raducanu pulled out of the tournament with a stress fracture in her right leg.
Although Draper addressed the media at Wimbledon on Sunday, he gave no indication that his arm injury had resurfaced.
However, he did express concern about the growing number of injuries affecting top players on the professional tour.
Reflecting on his own struggles, Draper described the recovery process as mentally demanding.
“It’s been an incredibly long process. It’s taken a lot out of me mentally coming back and back and back,” he said.
Draper’s latest setback continues a frustrating spell of injury problems that have repeatedly disrupted his progress on the ATP Tour.
