Jack Draper moots hitting 'rock bottom' and deactivates Instagram account in concerning signs
ATPWednesday, 19 August 2026 at 00:21
Jack Draper appears to have deleted his Instagram account as he heads towards a US Open qualifying tilt next week. He continues to battle with arm issues and has done since the US Open where he withdrew before the second round and missed the rest of the year.
Draper then missed the Australian and French Opens as well as his home Grand Slam at Wimbledon with a myriad of different injuries from his arm pain that has caused him issues as well as knee problems.
After weeks of being sidelined, he returned at the Canadian Open but he struggled with injury again with fitness issues and then broke down in tears during a changeover against Terence Atmane. He continued until the end of the match but it is clear that he had issues in doing so.
His appearance at the 2026 US Open is in doubt due to his injury concerns with qualifying also looming for the Brit as opposed to the main draw. He either is trying to block out further noise or is going through it, as he recently mooted that he had hit rock bottom amid constant injury issues.
Draper hits rock bottom
"I don't get emotional often. There was once I got emotional in practice in May when I had really bad knee tendinitis and my arm was really sore as well. I was in so much pain.
"I was running and my knee (hurt) and my hitting the balls and my arm was sore. Last week came from a place of, I think I had so much to focus on and manage, so much change going on in my tennis.
"I got to (no.) 4 in the world through doing the same things, the consistent work, the differences, and then went through this whole process of a lot of setbacks and a lot of struggle.
Jack Draper during the US Open.
"That's taken a lot out of me. But then at the same time, I'm in a position where I'm having to start again. That reality is difficult sometimes.
"The reason I got emotional was that through all the challenges, you can forget who you are on the court. And last week I felt like I couldn't give any more.
"I was emotional because I didn’t recognise the player I was out on the court due to my injuries and due to probably the way I've been feeling for a long time.
"When you reach rock bottom like that you can come back up again. Since then I've practised really well, I've had amazing support from the people around me and you get to a point more and more of acceptance. We've definitely reached that acceptance phase now."
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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