Jack Draper Withdraws from US Open

Jack Draper’s US Open campaign has come to an abrupt end after the Briton was forced to withdraw from the men’s singles event due to injury. His scheduled second-round opponent, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, progresses to the third round by walkover.

The withdrawal comes as another setback for Draper, who has struggled to build consistent momentum this season due to recurring physical issues. This tournament marked his return to the Grand Slam stage after being forced to withdraw from Wimbledon last month, where injury cut short his campaign before it truly began.

Draper, 22, had entered the US Open with optimism, having shown flashes of his powerful baseline game during hard-court events earlier in the summer. However, his fitness has continued to pose questions, undermining his ability to put together deep runs at major tournaments. Draper was seeded 5th and defending semifinal points from last year. With his exit, British interest in the men’s draw now rests on the shoulders of Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley.

For Bergs, the walkover represents a valuable opportunity to reach the latter stages of a Major for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old Belgian has steadily climbed the ATP rankings and now has the chance to build on that progress with a third-round appearance in New York.

The precise nature of Draper’s latest setback has not yet been clarified. The Brit did post on X (formerly Twitter) that it was due to discomfort in his arm, but no more detail than that.