Jack Draper has withdrawn from Roland Garros, the British former world No. 4 announced Thursday, citing a knee injury that adds to a punishing run of physical setbacks for one of the sport’s most promising young talents.
Draper, 24, currently ranked No. 28 in the ATP standings, will miss the year’s second Grand Slam as he attempts to manage a body that has betrayed him repeatedly over the past year. The 2025 Indian Wells champion had only recently returned to competition in February after an arm problem sidelined him for nearly eight months.
His comeback has been brief and bruising. Draper has played just nine matches across five tournaments since returning, and the latest blow came earlier this month at the Barcelona Open, where he was forced to retire in the first round against Argentina’s Tomás Etcheverry. The knee trouble that surfaced in that match has now claimed his Paris campaign.
The priority for Draper and his team is no longer the clay. With Wimbledon looming on June 29, the focus has shifted to ensuring the Briton arrives at the All England Club in condition to make a deep run on home grass.
Further risks during the European clay swing are expected to be avoided entirely, with the grass season carrying considerably more weight for a player whose game and ambitions are tied to the surface where he grew up.
Draper’s withdrawal further thins a Roland Garros draw already missing several marquee names, and raises fresh questions about the durability of a career that has oscillated between breakthrough moments and prolonged absences since he turned professional.
