Jack Draper has pulled out of this week’s Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) Grand Final in London. It’s another setback for the British star who’s been dealing with a stubborn arm injury for months.
Draper competes in the UTS under the nickname ‘The Power’ – and he’s pretty good at it. He won the whole thing back in 2023.
This year, he was supposed to defend his title. But his left arm had other plans.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Draper | 23 | 1,131 | 13 - 12 |
The 23-year-old’s arm problems started way back during the clay-court season. He got a scan during Wimbledon that revealed a bone bruise – the kind of injury that sounds minor but can be really tough to shake.
Draper didn’t even hit a tennis ball until the US Open rolled around. When he finally did get back on court, the pain came right back.
He had to withdraw from his second-round match against Zizou Bergs. That was it – season over.
The UTS tournament was supposed to be his comeback moment. It’s running from December 5-7 at London’s Copper Box Arena, and everyone was excited to see ‘The Power’ back in action.
But on Monday, Draper announced he’s not ready yet.
"I’ve been working hard to be back for the UTS in London but frustratingly I’m just not quite ready. It’s a tough call as at this point I want nothing more than to get out there and compete but I’ve been advised [to] take more time. I’m sorry to let down fans and miss out on the event."
You can hear the frustration in those words. When you’re young and hungry to compete, being told to wait is probably the last thing you want to hear.
Ugo Humbert will take Draper’s spot in the tournament. The Frenchman gets a last-minute call-up to one of tennis’s more unique events.
Draper’s next target is the 2026 United Cup in Australia, which starts January 2. That’s just two weeks before the Australian Open gets underway.
What a year it’s been for Draper
Before this injury nightmare, 2025 was shaping up as Draper’s breakthrough year. He started as World No. 15 after winning the Erste Bank Open in Vienna last year.
Then came his massive moment – winning Indian Wells. It’s his biggest title to date and the kind of Masters 1000 victory that changes everything.
That win pushed him into the Top 10 for the first time. Not bad for a guy who was outside the top 50 just a couple years ago.
He kept the momentum going with a final appearance at the Madrid Masters. Then came a quarterfinal run at the Italian Open.
Those results shot him up to a career-high World No. 4. Think about that – fourth best player in the world.
At the French Open, he was the fifth seed. That’s serious territory. He made it to the fourth round before Alexander Bublik ended his run.
Wimbledon was where things started to go wrong. The injury was already bothering him, and he lost early to Marin Cilic in the second round.
There was a fun moment at the US Open though. Draper teamed up with Jessica Pegula for the mixed doubles. They were the top seeds and made it all the way to the semifinals before losing to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.
His singles campaign lasted exactly one match. He beat Federico Agustin Gomez in the first round, then had to call it quits when the arm pain returned.
The crazy thing? Even without playing for the rest of the season, Draper managed to finish inside the Top 10. That shows just how good his first half of the year was.
Now it’s all about getting healthy and getting back to that level in 2026.
