Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Queen’s Club Championships.
Draper has not competed on the ATP Tour since suffering a knee injury during his opening match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open in early April.
The former world number four had been scheduled to make his long-awaited return at Queen’s, but has now delayed his comeback.
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Draper’s withdrawal from the West London event was widely reported on Tuesday afternoon, and the Briton has now released a statement explaining the reason for his withdrawal.
Jack Draper’s statement following his withdrawal from Queen’s
“Recovery going in the right direction, but I’m going to give myself one more week and aim to return at Eastbourne,” Draper said in a statement reported by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.
“Very hard to miss one of my favourite events.”
Draper has suffered numerous debilitating injuries over the past few years, and this latest update will do little to ease fears concerning the British star’s long-term prospects on the Tour.
The Briton, who hired Andy Murray as his coach for the grass-court swing, is now set to make his return to competitive play at the Eastbourne Open.
The event, last won by Taylor Fritz, will run from June 22 to 27.
Draper last played at the Eastbourne Open in 2023. That year, he defeated Jenson Brooksby, Diego Schwartzman and Ryan Peniston before losing to Maxime Cressy in the semi-finals.
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Naomi Broady reacts to Jack Draper’s injury
“It will be [deeply disappointing.] He’s missed so much due to injury already,” Broady said while on punditry duties for BBC Sport.
“The problems started last year – he had the issue with the shoulder [Ed. note – it was the elbow].
“He’s changed the serve a little bit. He’s gone from the pinpoint stance, the way you bring your back foot up, he now keeps his feet apart on the serve.
“He’s gone to the platform stance in hope that it will put less pressure through his shoulder [elbow].
“But now the knee is bothering him, and we so often see that is the case when you try to jump back in.
“It’s not a team sport, you can’t go out and play half an hour and be subbed off and try and build the load back up. In tennis, you’re jumping back in, in at the deep end.
The British former WTA player later added: “I know he’s working so hard off court in the gym, on the practice courts as well. But [his] body [is] just not playing ball at the moment.
“And over the grass season as well – especially gutting for him. This is a home event for him, he lives in London.”