Jack Draper has introduced he’ll miss subsequent month’s Australian Open after admitting he’s not fairly prepared for a return to top-level competitors.
The British No 1 has performed only one match since Wimbledon, with bone bruising in his left arm curbing his 2025 season, and he’s set to be on the sidelines for a short while longer.
Draper, ranked tenth on the earth, stated in a video on X on Boxing Day: “Sadly, me and my crew have determined to not head out to Australia this yr.
“It’s a really, really tough decision, obviously (with) Australia being a Grand Slam, it’s one of the biggest tournaments in our sport.
“Nevertheless, I’ve had this damage for a very long time, I am on the very, very finish levels of the method and to step again on courtroom into best-of-five-set tennis so quickly simply would not look like a smart move proper now for me and my tennis.
“I’ve clearly been by means of a good quantity of setbacks to this point however by far and away, this one has been probably the most troublesome, probably the most difficult and probably the most complicated one which I’ve had.
“It is bizarre, it all the time appears to make me extra resilient, to make me hungrier to turn into the participant I wish to turn into much more.
“I’m looking forward to getting back out there in 2026 and competing. I just want to thank everyone for all the support in 2025. It means the world to me to be competing and to be playing out there on the tour with the other guys. I’m looking forward to doing that again. Take care everyone and thank you for the support.”
Although Draper has struggled with the arm damage for a while now, the video replace induced shock because it got here two days after he was filmed telling followers he would play in Australia.
The 24-year-old has been dogged by critical damage earlier than, lacking six months of the 2023 season as a result of a shoulder damage which required a number of operations.
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Sky Sports activities’ Laura Robson and Tim Henman focus on British No 1 Draper’s withdrawal from the US Open in September as a result of his problematic arm damage
Draper has managed his schedule extra rigorously since, reaching the US Open semi-finals in 2024 and claiming his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title earlier this yr in March at Indian Wells.
The Brit reached a career-high world rating of No 4 in June, however damage minimize brief his season as he withdrew after the primary spherical of the US Open and missed the ATP Tour Finals in Turin.
Draper had been pencilled in to return on the Final Tennis Showdown Grand Ultimate in London earlier this month however he adopted recommendation to take extra time in his restoration.
In skipping the season’s first Grand Slam, which begins on January 18 in Melbourne, Draper is now more likely to goal a comeback in February earlier than the defence of his Indian Wells title in the beginning of March.
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