Encouraging signs for Jack Draper but strange quirk unearthed with return to training

Thursday, 22 October 2026 at 15:30

While British tennis has endured a good week with the rise again of Sonay Kartal, the hope will be that eventually Jack Draper joins her in heralding the sport again in the UK. But he's returned to the sport this week, albeit with a quirk to his training.

Draper returned to action after eight months out in February of this year, but he continued with his injury problems. He was riddled with arm and knee injuries across this season, which meant that in the end he only played 15 matches across the year.

There has been no sign as to when or if he will return to action, as he hasn't played for some time. He showed in Indian Wells and Eastbourne that he very much still has the game, but also it showed why it has been so frustrating to follow him.

Draper, though, this week has been pictured training in Rio, which is a good sign that he is at least back on the tennis court. However, he has been seen on clay courts, which is interesting, to say the least, and perhaps points more towards him missing the first part of 2027 too.

BREAKING!!!!!🔥🔥 A video of Jack Draper training on the clay in Brazil🇧🇷 has been released💪🏼 Let’s go🇬🇧🙌🏼 https://t.co/n8TulWThqM
— British Tennis Players On Tour🇬🇧 (@BritishTennisUp) October 21, 2026

Murray reunited with Draper

The ATP doesn't reach the clay until February and March at the very earliest when it goes to Argentina, Brazil and Chile for the Golden Swing. Draper has never played these tournaments, often going to Qatar and Dubai.

So unless he is merely just taking time out to test his body's capabilities on a more arduous surface and seeing how it copes, it perhaps strikes as a bizarre move. As well, he only played one match on clay in 2026 at the Barcelona Open, where the clay dealt him a dud hand with his knee injury.

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Andy Murray, though, continues to be there who coached him during the grass court swing. There are plans for the duo to continue to reunite in 2027, so that is a positive sign for Draper at the very least.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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