British tennis player Jack Draper to miss remainder of 2026 season amid ongoing arm injury

British tennis player Jack Draper will sit out the remainder of the 2026 season while he continues to manage a persistent injury to his left arm, the 24‑year‑old former world No. 4 announced on Tuesday. He said he intends to return to the ATP Tour at the beginning of 2027. Draper explained on Instagram that the prolonged physical and emotional strain had left him fatigued and that he needed time away from competition. “I am taking this time to reset and heal so when I return I am 100 % ready to go.” He added that tennis remains his passion and that he hopes to come back next year fully prepared to compete at the level he believes he can reach. The left‑arm bony bruising that has troubled him since 2025 repeatedly disrupted his comeback attempts. A separate right‑knee injury also kept him out earlier this year. After reaching the semifinals at Eastbourne in June, he withdrew from Wimbledon because of a recurrence of the arm problem and later missed the US Open. His most recent match came on Aug. 13 at the Cincinnati Open, where he fell in the opening round to Spain’s Martín Landaluce. The injury has sharply altered Draper’s trajectory after he climbed to a career‑high No. 4 ranking in 2025, captured the Indian Wells Masters 1000 title and established himself as one of Britain’s leading players. According to Tuesday’s reports, his ATP ranking has dropped to No. 155. Draper also reached the US Open semifinals in 2024, which remains his best Grand Slam result.