Jack Draper set for return to action ahead of US Open at Winnipeg Challenger after missing home tournament Wimbledon

Jack Draper will make his return to the courts at the Winnipeg Challenger after nearly three months without playing.

The 21-year-old tennis player has faced a challenging year in 2023 due to injuries, participating in only seven tournaments. This week, he dropped nearly 40 spots to become the world No. 123, falling out of the top 100 for the first time in over a year.

His most recent match was at the 2023 French Open, where he retired during the first-round match against Tomas Etcheverry. The British left-hander missed the grass-court season due to a shoulder injury.

Draper will compete in the Winnipeg Challenger this week as the first seed. The draw doesn't include any top 100 players, and other notable figures accompanying Draper are David Goffin, Dominick Stricker, Benjamin Bonzi, and Alejandro Tabilo.

His debut is scheduled for August 15th, where he will face 24-year-old Japanese player Rio Noguchi, currently ranked world No. 249.

Physical problems have plagued him in other Grand Slam events, like his withdrawal against Karen Khachanov at the 2022 US Open. At the start of 2023 Australian Open, he also experienced physical issues and had to take a two-month break after his match against Rafael Nadal.

During his return at Indian Wells, he suffered another injury during the round of 16 match against Carlos Alcaraz when he was trailing 2-6, 0-2. In the upcoming weeks, he hopes to participate in higher-level tournaments.

First, he’ll compete in the ATP 250 Winston Salem, sharing the draw with players like Sebastián Baez, Dan Evans, Borna Coric, Gael Monfils, and Dominic Thiem, among others.

As for the US Open, despite his ranking drop, Draper had already secured his spot in the main draw a couple of weeks ago. Therefore, he appeared on the entry list with his ranking at the time of the list's closure, which was world No. 80