Andy Roddick is the latest to offer his opinion on Jack Draper’s tough decision to withdraw from the US Open.
After a successful mixed doubles campaign and a four-set win in the very first round, it seemed like the British number one was back and ready to compete again after such a long layoff.
This marked his first singles event since Wimbledon, having missed the entire hard-court summer swing through injury.
However, the tennis world was rocked when Draper announced he’d be withdrawing from the US Open, with the issue once again rearing its ugly head.
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the former world number one has now voiced his thoughts on the matter.
Andy Roddick reacts to Jack Draper’s withdrawal from the US Open
As a big fan of Draper’s, Roddick was unsurprisingly sympathetic when speaking about the retirement.
He began by stating: “Some upsetting news yesterday was that Draper pulled out of the tournament with an elbow injury after not having played since Wimbledon.
“I hope this is nothing serious. One of the best stories of the year was Draper and Indian Wells and Draper making the finals of Madrid. Through until Rome, he was probably the third-best player in the world this year.
“You do not want to see this type of growth, momentum, improvement and star power, frankly, sidelined by injuries.”
Roddick then offered his insight into the potential nature of the injury: “I am no doctor, but let’s just go through the facts of the situation. You have not played since Wimbledon, and he had to be chomping at the bit to play in hot weather, on hard courts, post Wimbledon. Those are the kind of tournaments that he doesn’t want to miss.
“You come here and you have to think that if he chose to play mixed doubles, that he was feeling pretty good. There is no world where you put extra stress on the body if it’s not feeling good.
“Plays his first round match and gets through and then pulls the rip cord. You don’t really pull the rip cord unless there’s a version of this injury that can be made way worse.
“If anything, if it’s sore or overused and tendonitis, you probably get through the Open and then renegotiate.
“To pull out is concerning considering that he hasn’t played much going in. He seemed healthy. I didn’t see him shaking out the arm in mixed doubles.
He concluded by admitting he’s somewhat uneasy about the situation, and worried for Draper: “So this sucks. This is concerning. He was a massive breakout star starting with the US Open last year when he made the semis and lost to Sinner and then he had been playing great this whole year, so I hope Jack Draper gets healthy and gets some clarity.
“You try not to be negative and fear the worst, but it’s hard not when someone with this much potential, him and Shelton maybe enter the conversation of disruptors [for Sinner and Alcaraz] and you just hope that it doesn’t go sideways or take six months.”
Jack Draper’s place in the end-of-year finals is in doubt
Among many other setbacks, this US Open withdrawal now throws Draper’s potential participation in the end-of-year finals in Turin in doubt.
After all, if he’s not fit enough to compete at the final Grand Slam of the year, it makes for a worrying sign when considering his potential appearance at the events that follow it.
Currently, the 23-year-old sits seventh in the ATP Race to Turin, just behind Taylor Fritz, and just ahead of Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti.
However, all three of these remain in the US Open, and will likely shorten the gap or overtake him completely in the next week.
Draper will need to play some of the tournaments after this major to stand a chance of solidifying his position in that prestigious tournament.
But, if he is injured, this withdrawal could have sealed his fate.
Draper was told to skip the rest of the year after his withdrawal, and if he cannot qualify for the end-of-year finals, it might not be the worst idea in the world.
