Jack Draper will hope to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2025 campaign when he steps onto the court in 2026.
The Brit started 2025 on a strong note: winning Indian Wells, reaching the Madrid Open final, and rising to world number four.
Unfortunately for Draper, he began to suffer from a left arm issue around the time of the Madrid Open.
The issue forced him to withdraw from the entirety of the North American hard-court swing – the Brit made his return to the court at the US Open.
However, the left arm issue re-emerged, and he was forced to pull out of his US Open second-round match against Zizou Bergs – and the rest of the season.
Draper will look to start 2026 on the right foot, and on Tuesday, Draper – who will play at the UTS Grand Final in December – confirmed his attendance for a significant 2026 event.
Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula will play at the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships
Draper, who reached the semi-finals of the 2025 Queen’s Club Championships, told the LTA: “I’m really looking forward to being back – I played some really good tennis this year and it’s one of my favourite tournaments, being in front of a home crowd, I just love the atmosphere.
“I’ve got a picture of me next to the trophy when I’m a kid and I’m just about taller than the trophy so hopefully one day I’ll get to lift it up.
“Queen’s is one of the tournaments I want to win the most because it’s my home tournament, a beautiful place and making the semi-finals this year, I just came up short, so next year I’ll be really motivated to come back and go a couple of steps further.”
At the 2025 event, Draper defeated Jenson Brooksby, Alexei Popyrin and Brandon Nakashima before losing to Jiri Lehecka.
In the final, Lehecka was defeated by then world number two Carlos Alcaraz.
Speaking of Alcaraz, Draper famously defeated the Spaniard 7-6, 6-3 at the 2024 Queen’s Club Championships.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula, who will make her debut at the 2026 event, noted the positive feedback she has received from her peers regarding the event.
“I’m really looking forward to playing the HSBC Championships at The Queen’s Club,” the American told the LTA.
“I’ve heard great things from other players about the setup, the atmosphere, and the history there, so it’ll be fun to experience it for myself.”
What did Jack Draper say after defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Queen’s Club Championships?
Draper, who had just won his maiden ATP Tour title at the 2024 Stuttgart Open, ended Carlos Alcaraz’s 13-match winning streak on grass when he played the Spaniard in June 2024.
Alcaraz’s winning streak included his run to the Queen’s title in 2023 and the 2023 Wimbledon title.
After defeating Alcaraz, Draper noted that he felt calm and relaxed during the match.
As reported by BBC Sport, Draper said: “There was such a bee in my bonnet about winning an ATP event. To get the title last week set me free of negative emotions and a lot of the pressure I’ve been putting on myself.”
“Coming to Queen’s for a home tournament, being British number one, you would think would put more stress on my shoulders – but it is the opposite.
“I feel calm and relaxed because I know I’m doing the right things. I trust in my tennis and know I’m going to be tough to beat.”
