British tennis player Jack Draper has withdrawn from his first-round match at Wimbledon due to a lingering arm injury, the player announced on Monday.
Former world number four Jack Draper pulled out of his first round against sixth seed Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon due to an arm injury.
In a statement released on Monday, Draper wrote: "Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury."
The lingering injury is the same that prevented the 24-year-old from continuing his campaign at the US Open last year, forcing him to retire in the second round.
"There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months, but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honor for a British player than playing at Wimbledon," he added.
“I will continue to persevere through this. Thank you for the support!!”
The announcement came a day before launching his campaign on home soil against the American player.
In the lead-up to The Championships 2026, the three-time ATP title holder made an encouraging return to tour-level action in Eastbourne, where he fell to eventual runner-up Ugo Humbert in the semifinals.
The Sutton native went from strength to strength, competing in his first tournament after spending more than two months sidelined from the Tour due to a knee injury.
And he made the most of the wild card entry he received into the main draw, advancing to his fourth career grass semifinal on Thursday, the first with Andy Murray in his coaching box.
At the time, he commented: “Obviously, it’s been a difficult year with a lot of injury setbacks and everything, but I’m gaining more confidence in my body. Winning helps, obviously."
The positive result naturally raised expectations for one of the sport's most talented young athletes' appearance at his home Grand Slam, halted by another unfortunate setback.