Jack Draper might miss the entire opening month of 2026 after pulling out of yet another tournament. The British star hasn’t played since the US Open back in September.
Draper’s 2025 season came to an abrupt end when an arm injury forced him to withdraw before his second-round match at Flushing Meadows. He announced he was shutting down his season just days later.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Draper | 23 | 1,131 | 13 - 12 |
Draper was pretty much guaranteed a spot at the 2025 ATP Finals before the injury struck. He’d had an incredible year, winning his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and reaching the Madrid Open final.
The 22-year-old was supposed to make his comeback at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in London. But his arm still wasn’t ready. Alex de Minaur ended up winning that exhibition instead.
His next planned appearance was the 2025 MGM Macau Tennis Masters on December 27th and 28th. The event features rising WTA stars Mirra Andreeva and Alexandra Eala.
But Draper’s already pulled out of that one too.
No official reason was given, but it’s obviously the same arm problem that’s been keeping him off court for months now.
Will Draper miss the 2026 season opener?
This latest withdrawal raises some serious questions about whether Draper will be ready for 2026’s first big events.
He and Emma Raducanu were already announced for the 2026 United Cup, which runs from January 2nd to 11th. That’s just a few days after the Macau event he’s now missing.
If Draper’s not ready for an exhibition in late December, it’s hard to see how he’ll be match-fit for competitive tennis a week later.
The British No. 1 might need to take even more time off to give his arm the best chance of being ready for the 2026 Australian Open. Missing the United Cup would be disappointing, but it might be the smart play for his long-term health.
Mensik also withdraws from Macau event
Draper isn’t the only young star missing the Macau exhibition. Jakub Mensik has also pulled out of the event.
The 19-year-old Czech had one of the breakthrough moments of 2025 when he won the Miami Open. His run to that title was absolutely incredible to watch.
Beating Novak Djokovic in the final made it even more special. It turned out to be the only final Djokovic played with Andy Murray as his coach before they split up.
But Mensik’s been dealing with his own injury issues lately. He withdrew before his Swiss Indoors match against Joao Fonseca in October and hasn’t played since.
He also missed the Paris Masters and the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah because of the same problem.
The tournament organizers confirmed his withdrawal from Macau but didn’t give any details about why. It’s almost certainly the same injury that’s been keeping him out.
Hopefully both Draper and Mensik can get healthy soon. Tennis is just better when these exciting young players are on court doing what they do best.
