Jack Draper injury shake-up: Good news for Stefanos Tsitsipas?

Saturday, 27 December 2025 at 04:30

Stefanos Tsitsipas represents Greece at the Davis Cup

World No. 10 Jack Draper confirmed this Friday that he will not present himself at the Australian Open following a relapse in his left arm injury that has been complicating him since mid-2025. The British No. 1 will miss the Australian swing – where he was committed to dispute the United Cup and the Australian Open.

Draper's departure from the first major of the year leaves a seeded spot open within the tournament. With this – momentarily – Stefanos Tsitsipas would be the main beneficiary, remaining as the 32nd seed on the tournament entry list.

And it is that the Greek, currently world No. 34, had everything indicating that he would dispute the first major of the year without being seeded, after 29 consecutive Grand Slam draws situated as a seed – including 20 of them inside the top 10 seeds. Without a position among the seeds, he was exposed to facing any player in the draw – including top players like Alcaraz, Sinner or Djokovic, from the first round.

Added to the withdrawal of world No. 10 Draper is the confirmed absence from months ago of Holger Rune – current world No. 15, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that will have him out of competition during a good part of the season, with a potential return date still to be confirmed.

Read also

In this way, in addition to the players inside the top 32 of the ATP Ranking, there will be two other seeded spots to be occupied, which for the moment would be for the American Brandon Nakashima (No. 33) and the Greek former world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 34).

The seeded positions are awarded to the best players in the ranking and allow them a better sort in the draw – meaning that the seeds are guaranteed not to face any other seed during the first two rounds. In theory, this would allow Tsitsipas to dispute the first two rounds against tennis players of lower ranking than him.

At the moment Tsitsipas would be the 32nd seed although it will have to be confirmed after the first week of competition, since the ranking of the players once the season has started will be considered for the draw. The Greek will be at the United Cup, where he will be able to add some points before starting the first major of the year and confirm his spot as a seed.

Tsitsipas looks to confirm seed at United Cup

Tsitsipas defends 45 points during the United Cup, after achieving a triumph in the Round Robin of 2025 against Pablo Carreño Busta - who presented himself with a protected ranking of No. 18. Let us remember that in the team tournament, players add points based on the ranking of the rival they defeated and the round in which they achieved it.

Tsitsipas defeated Carreño Busta in three sets - reporting 45 points - while he lost in his second match against Alexander Shevchenko.

Read also

Anyway, once the points from the first week of competition are deducted, the Greek would momentarily remain as world No. 34, and discounting the presence of Rune and Draper in Australia, he would take the 32nd seeded position for the first major of the year.

He will also have another indirect benefit: Greece and Great Britain were drawn in the same group of the United Cup, so there will not be a duel between Tsitsipas and Draper, and everything indicates that the Brit will be replaced as first singles player by Billy Harris - who was noted as alternate for Draper in case of injury.

In this way, the assured duels for Tsitsipas in Group E of the United Cup will be against Shintaro Mochizuki (No. 100) of Japan and Harris (No. 126) of Great Britain – two rivals against whom Tsitsipas is favorite, at least regarding ranking, and that can mean adding some points that end up securing his place as a seed at the Australian Open.

Read also

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

"You watch him play and it fills your eyes": Latin American No. 1 explains why Federer was his Big-3 favourite

"It was something incredible": The only man to beat Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic in a row revisits his untouchable feat