Jack Draper is back in action at the Barcelona Open (Image: Tennis TV)
Jack Draper will begin his clay season at the Barcelona Open after pulling out of the Monte Carlo Masters this week. And Britain’s number 2 has confirmed that his recent retirement had nothing to do with his hand injury, as he continues his comeback from a six-month layoff.
Draper did not play a match between last year’s US Open and Britain’s Davis Cup in February this year, when a bone fracture in his left humerus disrupted his 2025 season. He has since tried to manage his schedule, competing in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami. It was the ‘Sunshine Double’ mixed for world No. 25, who stunned Novak Djokovic on his way to the Indian Wells final, but lost his opening match in Miami. Draper skipped the Monte Carlo Masters, delaying the start of his clay season, and opted for a practice week.
On his arrival in Barcelona, Draper told ATP Media: “Tough decision, Monte Carlo is one of the tournaments in the last few years that I’ve been happy to be at and play. It’s a great event.
“I think, with the injury I had, I wasn’t able to train properly and work on my game properly. I was in a recovery mode for a while to get back to the stadium and get back on the road. So I knew I needed a few weeks to do some work and get the right to go up again.
“That decision was only about tennis. There is no doubt that the injury I had with my hand, I still have to manage and understand it, and definitely do all the right things for my body. But I am going in the right direction with everything.
The British number 2 starts at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona next week, and hopes to continue playing on the tour in a normal way from here on. “The plan is very big. The plan is to play in Madrid, Rome, France, and do a full schedule as much as I can,” he said.
“I think I have enough training, enough kilometers in the tank to do that now. I don’t know what my results will be, but I’m happy to be back on the road, and I’m looking forward to going back.”
Jack Draper has not played since the Miami Open (Image: Getty)
Draper had a strong season on clay in 2025, finishing runner-up at the Madrid Open, reaching the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, and reaching the second week of the French Open. And he believes the surface will only help him as he tries to find a rhythm on the pitch.
The world number 4 continued: “I think it was difficult when I wasn’t on the hard courts, certainly in Dubai and Miami, I was hoping to find a rhythm, and I was playing big servers and I couldn’t find the time I wanted on the court and the rhythm when I was playing, which is what I needed for a long time. Indeed, those lessons I learned last year about how to work with clay more effectively, I think it’s good for my body and all aspects of where I am now.”
Although the hand injury did not affect Draper’s decision to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters, the Brit is also learning to manage the problem – and his expectations. “Look, the expectations are always very high for me. I want to focus on every competition I go to,” he added.
“There’s a big part of me that wants that, there’s also another part of me that knows I’m not where I want to be, physically and athletically and playing on tour.
“When I say rackets, I mean more [with the] but there have been a lot of things that I have been doing away from the stadium, but I feel like now I am in a position to push myself into the sport, and I can’t wait to see how I go. “
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