Jack Draper has confirmed he will miss both the Madrid Open and the Italian Open in Rome due to a knee injury. The British number two retired from his Barcelona opener against Tomas Martin Etcheverry last week, citing discomfort in his right knee. His absence adds to a growing list of high‑profile withdrawals, with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic already ruled out of Madrid.
French Open ambitions
Despite the setback, Draper remains optimistic about competing at Roland Garros later in May. “An aggravated tendon in my knee means I am not able to play in Madrid and Rome,” Draper said in a statement. He added: “It’s frustrating for sure but I am thankful it isn’t anything more serious, recovery is going well and I feel good about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros. I am looking forward to building momentum from there.”
Injury‑hit season
The 24‑year‑old has endured a difficult run since his breakthrough at Indian Wells last year, where he missed nearly eight months due to a left arm issue. His comeback included a strong showing in California last month, defeating Novak Djokovic in the last 16 before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the quarter‑finals.
Kartal ruled out of clay season
Meanwhile, Sonay Kartal has announced she will miss the entire clay court swing after suffering a back injury at Indian Wells. The British player, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year, explained her situation on social media: “Sadly my back injury hasn’t improved as quickly as I would’ve hoped which means no clay season for me this year. Thanks for all the messages over the last few weeks, means a lot. Can’t wait to play in front of a home crowd soon! See you on the grass.”
Jack Draper in 2026
Currently the world no.28, the Brit played his last match on the 13th of April when he had to retire when playing against world no.29 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the 1st round and the scoreline was 3-6 6-3 4-1 .
This season Draper has a compiled 5-4 win-loss record.
