Jack Draper’s injury struggles have plagued his progress in 2025, and a former major champion has weighed in on the issue.
Draper has barely competed since being stunned by Marin Cilic in the Wimbledon second round, withdrawing from the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, before withdrawing from the US Open ahead of his second-round match.
As Andy Roddick pointed out, this ongoing injury saga is concerning, especially for a player as young as the Brit.
Draper’s left arm injury is far from the first physical issue he has suffered with, having dealt with shoulder and hip injuries in the past.
One former Grand Slam champion has discussed Draper’s injury struggles, following the 23-year-old’s announcement that he will be sidelined for the rest of 2025.
Jimmy Arias criticises Jack Draper’s ability to play through pain
Jimmy Arias, the 1981 French Open Mixed Doubles Champion, has suggested that Jack Draper is a player who will not play through pain.
Speaking on the Mitch Michals podcast, Arias noted a need to differentiate between debilitating pain, and pain that can be overcome while playing.
Arias said of Draper: “He is always injured. He feels a little like one of those players, and there are certain players, who if there is pain I don’t play.
“It’s hard to go a whole year without having pain at some point. You have got to be able to differentiate between this is a pain that is going to cause me to not be able to play at some point.
“And this is just that I have inflammation and tendonitis and I can play through this for a while.
“They feel like players that don’t want to play through. I could be wrong, maybe they’ve been really injured, but that’s the feeling you get when it happens that often.”
When could Jack Draper next play an ATP Tour match?
In Draper’s message to fans, he relayed his intention to sit out the rest of 2025.
Therefore, the earliest he could return to the tour would be at the United Cup, which begins on January 2, 2026 in Australia.
If he chooses to rejoin the tour at a later date, the Brit could compete in either the Brisbane Open or Hong Kong Open. Both tournaments start on January 5.
Draper could also return on January 12 at either the Adelaide or Auckland Open.
Following those tournaments, the first major of the year is scheduled to start on January 18. However, it may be wise for Draper to skip the Australian Open if he has not completely recovered from his injury by that point in time.
