After suffering through numerous injury setbacks, and playing just 15 matches (8-7), former world No.4 Jack Draper has announced that he will not play any more in 2026.
Don’t usually love lots of words on here but I wanted to update you that I am aiming to return to the tour at the start of 2027,” Draper wrote on Instagram.
The 24-year-old had the start of his 2026 season delayed by bone bruising in his left arm, which ended his 2025 season after the US Open. He returned in February and played nine matches through early April, when a knee issue put him off the court and forced him out of Roland Garros.
Later, after a semifinal run in Eastbourne, the bone bruising returned and forced him out of Wimbledon, then the US Open.
“Last summer all the dedication and work I had put into this sport was coming together,” Draper said. “It was all going my way and the path seemed so clear. However a complicated injury made things incredibly challenging and since that moment I’ve been desperately trying to get back and feel as I once did on the court. Managing so much change, adversity and pain has helped me to grow massively in many areas of my life but has also made me feel a level of fatigue that made it difficult to keep going.
“I am taking this time to reset and heal so when I return I am 100 percdent ready to go.
“Tennis is my purpose and passion and so when I step back on court I want to make sure that there’s nothing holding me back from where I want to go and achieve the things I know I’m capable of. I really appreciate all the continued support from my sponsors, team and people who enjoy following my tennis and I look forward to being back on court to give it my all next year!”
