Jack Draper’s promising run at the Japan Open came to an abrupt halt when the British No. 1 was forced to retire from his quarter-final match against France’s Ugo Humbert. Draper, who had shown strong form after a semi-final appearance at the US Open, struggled with an apparent abdominal injury during the match.
Trailing 7-5, 2-1, the 22-year-old called for medical attention on court but was ultimately unable to continue. Despite receiving treatment, Draper’s discomfort persisted, leading him to withdraw and concede the match to Humbert.
The injury also ended Draper’s doubles campaign, where he had teamed up with Czech player Tomas Machac, his would-be opponent in the singles semi-finals. The pair had to grant a walkover to their opponents, Ariel Behar and Robert Galloway, allowing them to advance directly to the final.
Draper’s forced retirement is a disappointing setback after a series of strong performances, but he will now focus on recovery ahead of future tournaments. Humbert, currently ranked World No. 19, moves on to face Machac in the semi-finals.
Reflecting on the situation, Draper commented, “I gave it everything I had, but sometimes your body doesn’t cooperate. I’ll focus on getting healthy and coming back stronger.”
Jack Draper has retired from his match with an abdominal injury against Ugo Humbert 👇 pic.twitter.com/JvNT4N8V0Z
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) September 29, 2024
Draper’s injury raises concerns about his participation in upcoming events, but his resilience throughout the tournament suggests that the young star will be eager to bounce back once fully recovered.
Jack Draper in 2024
Now the world no.20 (career-high), Draper played his last match on the 29th of September when he had to retire when playing against world no.18 Ugo Humbert in the quarter and the scoreline was 7-5 2-1 .
At present, during this year the Brit has managed to achieve an overall 32-21 record. The Brit has won 1 title in Stuttgart. The Brit was the runner-up in Adelaide.
Jack Draper will square off with the world no.404 Lucas Poullain in the final. Their actual record is 2-0 for Poullain.
Draper has won 1 title in 2024 in Stuttgart. The Brit got to the final in Adelaide (Adelaide International).
Jack Draper |
| Embed from Getty Images |
