Jack Draper pulls out of French Open with knee injury

Jack Draper has withdrawn from the upcoming French Open at Roland Garros due to a knee tendon injury and the British No.2 is now a doubt for Wimbledon.

Draper’s exit from the French Open draw is another blow to the 24-year-old who has struggled with long-term injuries over the last eight months.

The Brit has only managed to five nine matches since making a return to court in February following recovery from an arm issue but he suffered another knock against Tomas Etcheverry in the first round of the Barcelona Open and had to retire.

The extent of that injury is now known to be an aggravated knee tendon injury and Draper was initially hopeful of recovering in time for the French Open which begins on 18 May.

However that is not the case and Draper confirmed the news on his Instagram story writing: “My kneee is on the mend and I’ve started back hitting balls but unfortunately I have been advised not to play Roland Garros.

“As gutting as it is to miss another slam, the advice is not to rush straight back into playing five set tennis on clay. Off the back of the arm injury I sustained last year, I’ve been restricted with my training and by giving myself the time to heal and build, I can be the player I want to be out there once again.

“See you soon!”

The setback is another blow to Draper who had earned his way up to No.4 in the world less than a year ago and was aiming to make the step up to challenge the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Draper could potentially return for the start of the the grass-court tournament in Stuttgart, where he won his first title in 2024. That begins on 8 June with the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club taking place in London the following week.

Should Draper miss either of those events it seems likely that he may need to withdraw from Wimbledon as well.