JACK DRAPER was scheduled to face Taylor Fritz in a blockbuster first round clash at Wimbledon – but this will not be the case.
The has struggled with injuries for around a year and has seen his ranking plummet to No160.
Jack Draper has been handed a tough draw as he is unseeded following injury troubles Credit: Sunday Times
Taylor Fritz comes in as the No6 seed Credit: Getty
It means that Draper is unseeded this year and he got a tough draw against last year’s semi-finalist.
However, Draper is now not a part of the of the competition.
Why is Jack Draper not playing at Wimbledon 2026?
The Brit, 24, has been struggling with injuries over the past year, ever since he hurt his arm during the 2025 clay-court season.
And 24 hours before he was due to face American No.6 seed on Centre Court, it was announced that the former US Open semi-finalist was withdrawing.
It comes the day after due to a stress fracture in her shin.
, who did not practise on site on Monday, said: “Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury.
“There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at .
“I will continue to persevere through this. Thank you for the support.”
What has Jack Draper said about his injury troubles?
Draper has been battling arm and knee issues in recent months.
The 24-year-old, who has icon Andy Murray as his coach for the grass court season, admitted he is concerned by the amount of injuries top players are currently getting.
He said: “It’s pretty worrying, the state of men’s tennis, especially right now. The amount of injuries, especially the young players.
“When I look at the draws for the weeks when I was out, everything is shoulder, arm, wrist.
“Definitely, athletes are getting better and hitting the ball harder and moving better, they need to really take a close look at what we’re doing on tour.
“The tournaments are going to suffer a lot if not much changes. It’s a really important topic. I hope that as time goes on things do change.
“Looking back, coming here last year as fourth in the world, I was feeling incredible and looking forward to everything that was to come.
“I felt like I was gradually building up and up and up, with confidence in my tennis, in my body, in my mind.
“Then you have something that stops you in your tracks when you’re not expecting it.
“It’s really difficult to accept that, especially after coming through what you’ve come through in the past.
“I still believe, even now after all this time, I’m still competing at an incredibly high level. I’m looking forward to working my way up again.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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