Jack Draper withdraws from the Monte-Carlo Masters with a delayed start to the clay court season

Jack Draper made a late start to his clay court season by pulling out of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The British star was hoping to start his 2026 clay court season in Monte Carlo – live on Sky Sports Tennis between 5-12 April – but his desire to get the title of the maiden clay court will have to wait.

It remains to be seen whether Draper will play in his next scheduled event after suffering a season-ending hand injury in 2025 – the Barcelona Open, which runs from April 13-19.

The 24-year-old returned to action during the Great Britain’s Davis Cup win against Norway in February after playing just one match since Wimbledon in July, before competing in Doha.

He made an impressive run to the quarter-finals at Indian Wells earlier this month as the defending champion, beating former world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the fourth round, and lost his opening match at the Miami Open to Reilly Opelka.

Draper will now skip the first clay court tournament in the Principality.

What does the lack of Monte-Carlo mean for Draper?

He missed a tour-level tournament for six months due to a broken humerus bone and revealed to Sky Sports that he was “in the hole” due to the “complications” of his injury.

Draper insisted that he was determined to defend his Indian Wells title and despite his strong run, Draper was unable to maintain his form in Miami.

To talk to Sky Sports TennisTim Henman said of Draper: “He’s back on tour but at the level he was in 12 months ago winning the title here – he’s still got to keep building. Form is temporary, team is permanent.

“Jack is definitely on his way back!”

After Barcelona, ​​Draper has events in Munich, Hamburg and Geneva as well as Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome as possible options before the start of the French Open at Roland Garros from May 24 to June 7.

He left his mark on clay last year, becoming the first British player to reach the Masters 1000 final on clay since Andy Murray in 2016, during his last run at the Madrid Open – losing in three sets to Casper Ruud.

The Brit backed that up by making the quarter-finals in Rome, and enjoyed a fourth-place finish at the French Open – his best performance to date.

Djokovic is also out of the Masters 1000 event

Djokovic withdrew from the clay court event after also withdrawing from the ongoing Miami Open with a right shoulder injury..

The 38-year-old Serb won the Monte-Carlo Masters titles in 2013 and 2015.

Djokovic is next scheduled to compete in another ATP Masters 1000 clay event, the Mutua Madrid Open. The main event in the Spanish capital takes place from 22 April to 3 May.

Former US Open champion Taylor Fritz has also pulled out of the tournament due to injury along with fellow Americans Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda.

A recent spate of departures has opened the door for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Daniel Altmaier to join the first team directly.

British No 1 Cameron Norrie will enter this year’s clay court hoping to continue his good form which has seen him close to the top 20 in the world after a quarter-final appearance at Indian Wells.

He reached the semi-finals of the Geneva Open and the fourth round of the 2025 French Open where he lost to Novak Djokovic both times.

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