Jack Draper is officially no longer participating in the Grand Slam tournament starting next week. This makes him one of 17 players (so far) that have dropped out of the 2026 US Open, including most recently Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune.

The reason for Draper’s absence is a bone bruise in his left arm, which he has continued to battle over the last few months. This injury is especially troubling for the 24-year-old since his left arm is his dominant one. He will take more time to recover and hopefully return to competitive play soon.

A Year of Injuries

Drape’s entire past year has been plagued by injury and sparse tournament appearances. In fact, he has not played at a Grand Slam since last year’s US Open. He won his first-round match at the tournament against Federico Agustín Gómez but withdrew before his next match due to the chronic bone bruise in his left arm.

The talented British player ultimately withdrew from the Australian Open early this year due to the same issue but seemed ready to take on the French Open after making a few more ATP Tour stops. However, he announced a new knee injury that barred him from playing, and the bone bruise forced him to miss Wimbledon even after his knee had recovered.

Recent Tournaments

Draper’s most successful ATP appearance this year came on home soil at the Eastbourne Open in June. He made it all the way to the semifinal match before being defeated by Ugo Humbert in two sets (5-7, 3-6).

In August, Draper played at the National Bank Open after recovering from his knee injury but lost in the Round of 128 to Terence Atmane in three sets (3-6, 6-2, 2-6). Just over a week later, he made a Cincinnati Open appearance but left frustrated and in tears after losing to Martin Landaluce also in the Round of 128.

After his loss to Landaluce, Draper told a reporter, “It’s a difficult place to be right now. It’s got to a point with me where it’s taken probably one of my biggest qualities, my fighting spirit.”

What This Means for Draper’s Future

Since last summer, Draper’s ATP singles ranking has dropped from No. 4 to No. 143. As he continues to have substandard performances or fully withdraw from further tournaments, his ranking will likely continue to drop. He will already have to play through any upcoming Grand Slam tournament’s qualifying rounds if he does not receive a wildcard.

The next Grand Slam tournament will be the Australian Open in late January, which gives Draper a few more months to rest, recover, and train. Perhaps he will make an appearance at the Shanghai Masters in early October or the Paris Masters in early November as part of his preparation.