Jack Draper cannot catch a break. One might logically wonder if the 24-year-old Brit might watch much of his career pass by without ever playing a great part in it. He's struggled with various injuries, and his latest, an arm issue, will keep him out of the Citi Open. The problem is that his withdrawal came so late that it affects the event, too.
According to tennis analyst Ben Rothenberg, some high-level players had requested a wild card to play in the Washington, DC tournament, but Draper was granted one of them. By the time he withdrew (on Monday, the first day of the main draw), it was too late for others who might have wanted to play to do so.
Not that this is necessarily Draper's fault. He was practicing ahead of the tournament, and he appeared on the verge of participating. At some point, however, the arm ailment became too much, and he was forced to pull out.
Jack Draper's Citi Open absence isn't good for the player or the tournament
The former No. 4 has seen his ranking plummet, not because he's dipped in form, but because he hasn't been able to show much form. His record in 2026 is only 8-5, though he did reach the semifinals of his most recent event in Eastbourne. Before that, he hadn't played since the Barcelona Open in early April. He had to retire from his first match in Spain because of an injury.
The Brit has missed all the Grand Slam events in 2026 and only played in two Masters events since the Italian Open in May of 2025. One might wonder if Jack Draper will go down in tennis history as one of those players who could have been great, but whose body would never allow him to be. That would be a shame.
Oddly, his next scheduled event is a Challenger in Brownsburg, Indiana, as he won't be able to play at the Cincinnati Masters. His presence in Indiana would be somewhat shocking, and well...weird. The likelihood he misses the US Open is trending toward being great.
While he does need to work on the nuance of his game (he isn't going to be a threat to win the French Open soon, for instance), he is capable of the bombast and power to make a deep run at hard-court events and on grass courts. His constant injuries might keep him from coming close to his positive potential, though. His injuries are also keeping good wild cards out of the Citi Open.
