Jack Draper handed early Barcelona Open boost thanks to Felix Auger-Aliassime

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Jack Draper is set to kickstart his clay court season with an appearance at the Barcelona Open.

Draper opted out of the Monte-Carlo Masters after playing back-to-back tournaments at Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

The British star has shown promise in 2026 that he can return to the form that helped him reach the top four of the rankings last season.

Draper’s chances of a deep run at the Barcelona Open have been hugely boosted thanks to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud withdraw from the Barcelona Open

The draw has been made for the Barcelona Open and it has confirmed the withdrawal of Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud.

Auger-Aliassime reached the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, while Ruud was forced to withdraw in the round of 16.

As a result, Draper has snuck in as the final seed for the Barcelona Open, giving him a nicer draw than expected.

The Barcelona Open is stacked for an ATP 500 event and it’s been further boosted by world number one Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz and Draper will be joined by Lorenzo Musetti, Valentin Vacherot, Alex de Minaur, and Stan Wawrinka, the latter of whom has received a wild card.

Jack Draper’s Barcelona Open draw

Draper’s seeding has meant he will not play a player from the ATP Tour top 20 until at least the quarter-finals.

The British star has been drawn against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in round one, who could still prove to be very tricky.

The Argentine took a set off Alcaraz at the Monte-Carlo Masters and he is one of the best clay court players on the Tour.

Should Draper get through that match, he will likely play Nuno Borges in the second round, who is currently ranked outside the top 50.

It will be the quarter-finals when things get tough, with a suspected match with de Minaur on the cards.

Nevertheless, if Draper gets two wins under his belt on the clay then that should be considered a success for the Brit.