Jack Draper’s battle with injuries shows no signs of abating. Following his withdrawal from last week’s Monte-Carlo Masters, the British player was forced to retire during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open against Tomás Martín Etcheverry.
The world No. 28, who has been overtaken by Cameron Norrie as the top-ranked British player, had managed to win the first set. However, with the score at 3-6, 6-3, 4-1 in favour of Etcheverry, Draper’s body failed him again, this time citing a right knee injury. Despite receiving treatment from the physio between the second and third sets, he was unable to continue competing at the required pace.
The 24-year-old Briton, a former world No. 4, had initially sustained an arm injury at the US Open in August last year. He only made his comeback during the Davis Cup qualifiers against Norway. Subsequently, he achieved a notable victory over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells before being eliminated in the quarter-finals. However, his injury concerns have resurfaced, leading to an early exit in his first match at the Miami Open and his subsequent withdrawal from Monte-Carlo.