Jack Draper still out of action as Queen’s withdrawal extends injury absence: “Recovery going in the right direction”

Jack Draper will remain away from competition after withdrawing from next week’s Queen’s Club Championships, extending a spell on the sidelines that has defined large parts of his 2025 season. The British No. 1 confirmed the decision via the tournament’s social media channels, stating that his recovery is still ongoing and not yet at a stage to allow a return.

The 24-year-old has not competed since April at the Barcelona Open, where he retired during his opening-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. That match marked the start of another interruption in his season, followed by withdrawals from Madrid, Rome, Hamburg and Roland Garros.

Draper’s continued absence removes him from one of the key grass-court events of the summer, where he reached the semi-finals in 2025. The withdrawal further underlines the stop-start nature of his year, with fitness issues repeatedly preventing sustained runs on tour.

Despite the setback, Draper indicated that his recovery process is moving in the right direction, but not quickly enough for competitive tennis. His focus has now shifted to a potential return at Eastbourne, which would serve as preparation for Wimbledon.

Draper addressed his withdrawal in a statement shared by the tournament, confirming that he is not yet ready to return to match play despite progress in his rehabilitation. The message reflected caution rather than setback, but still confirmed his continued absence from competition.

“Recovery going in the right direction, but I’m going to give myself one more week and aim to return at Eastbourne," the 2025 Indian Wells champion said. "Very hard to miss one of my favourite events of the year.”

The decision means Draper remains out of action through the early stages of the grass-court season, a period where he had previously shown strong results. His 2025 Queen’s semi-final run had been one of his most notable performances of the year before injuries again disrupted continuity.

The withdrawal also continues a broader pattern across the season, with multiple missed tournaments preventing him from building ranking stability or match rhythm. His absence from Queen’s is therefore consistent with a year defined more by recovery cycles than sustained competition.

Draper’s 2025 campaign has been heavily shaped by injury interruptions. After competing in Barcelona in April, his schedule was immediately disrupted, leading to consecutive withdrawals from key European clay events and Roland Garros.

Prior to that, he had already spent a significant period away from competition following a mid-season break. He returned briefly in February, featuring in Davis Cup action against Norway and later at the ATP 500 event in Dubai, but has been unable to maintain continuity since.

His most significant result of the year came at Indian Wells, where he reached the quarter-finals and recorded a high-profile victory over Novak Djokovic. However, that level of performance has not been sustained due to recurring physical issues that continue to limit his calendar.

Draper currently sits at No. 112 in the ATP Live Rankings, reflecting both his limited match volume and prolonged absences from major events across the season.

With Queen’s now removed from his schedule, Draper’s attention turns to Eastbourne as the next realistic opportunity for a return to competition. The event is expected to form part of his preparation for Wimbledon, assuming recovery continues on schedule.

His absence from Queen’s is particularly notable given his previous success at the tournament, where he reached the semi-finals in 2025. That run had positioned him as one of Britain’s key contenders on grass before injuries interrupted his progress.

For now, however, Draper remains outside the competitive circuit, with no confirmed return date beyond his stated intention to compete in Eastbourne. The priority remains restoring full fitness after a season repeatedly disrupted by injury setbacks and withdrawals.