Jack Draper to miss French Open and rest of clay court season with knee injury

Britain's Jack Draper will miss the rest of the clay court season - including next month's French Open - because of an ongoing knee injury. The 24-year-old hopes to return for June's grass court season but by then will almost certainly have fallen outside the world's top 100. Draper retired from his one and only clay court match of the season in Barcelona earlier this month because of the tendon issue in his right knee. He then pulled out of back-to-back ATP 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome, but expressed optimism that he would be fit for the French Open. "My knee is on the mend and I've started back hitting balls but unfortunately I have been advised not to play Roland Garros," Draper posted on Instagram. "As gutting as it is to miss another Slam, the advice is not to rush straight back into playing five set tennis on clay." The tournament in Barcelona was just the fourth event of Draper's comeback from bone bruising in his serving arm, which - bar one match at the US Open - had kept him off the tour since Wimbledon last year. "Off the back of the arm injury, 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," Draper added. Draper is 28th in the world rankings, but will fall to around 50th after the completion of this week's Madrid Open. That is because the former British number one finished runner-up in Madrid last year and was supposed to be defending 650 ranking points. He will also now be unable to recoup the points he earned for reaching the quarter-finals of last year's Italian Open and the fourth round of Roland Garros. If fully fit, Draper could begin his grass court season in Stuttgart - where he won the title two years ago - on 8 June before heading home to play at Queen's Club in London. The 2024 US Open semi-finalist now has virtually no chance of being seeded for Wimbledon, which means he is very likely to come up against a seed in either the first or second round. But that will be the least of his worries right now. Draper had a brilliant first half of 2025, winning his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells and peaking at fourth in the world rankings. But his early career has been riddled with injuries to his shoulder, hip, arm and now knee. Getting fit, and staying that way, will be Draper's primary concern for the foreseeable future.