The worrying situation of an executioner from Alcaraz and Sinner on his return to the slopes

Injuries are one of the most bitter faces of sport, since they are beyond one’s control regardless of the conditions and fitness of the player. One of the most affected in the world of tennis in recent times has been British talent Jack Draper, one of the most referenced young players in terms of potential in his racket.

The Londoner, which on June 9, 2025 reached fourth place in the world rankingis experiencing an ordeal due to physical setbacks and cannot find the right way to stay healthy and nourish his game with continuity and rhythm.

He has not touched the court for almost two months since he retired during his first round match at the Conde de Godó Tournament in view of Etcheverrya match after which his knee was injured. Previously, he had been able to play eight games this season, with the semifinals in Indian Wells as the only result worth highlighting.

It was not released until February, since he had been experiencing discomfort in his left arm since his retirement in the US Open 2025. Draper was projected as one of the strongest candidates to rebel against the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinnerwhich is why he precisely recognized that he overstretched his body to try to reach those heights.

Precisely, the Briton beat the Murcian on two occasions, first in the Queen’s 2024 and later in Indian Wells 2025. And in fact, the famous tournament in the English capital witnessed its victory against San Candido in 2021.

A new beginning

His return is announced within the framework of the grass tour at the Stuttgart Open (June 8 to 14), a competition that he won in 2024 to launch his record, which he has not been able to expand since then.

Draper will have a luxury reinforcement from a heavyweight like Andy Murray who will guide him after parting ways with his former coach Jamie Delgado. As of today, the Londoner’s situation is far from what was expected, given that he is at number 75 in the ATPalthough it will nevertheless fall to 111th place next week due to the points lost at Roland Garros. As a result, he must play the previous phase of the tournaments if he does not receive invitations, or participate in lower-ranked competitions on the circuit. Challenger. As a local star, he is expected to have ‘wildcards’ in scenarios like Queen’s and Wimbledon in case you cannot enter by ranking.

Bordering the protected ranking

Draper returned to the court on February 5, leaving him less than 30 days short of completing six months without playing. If he had reached that period of inactivity, he would have been able to access the privileges of the protected ranking, but he was left on the edge of it.

The Londoner will have to work hard to recover the lost ground, at the same time that he will need to adjust with his work team what is the best strategy to avoid constantly recurring injuries.