US Open breakout star Jack Draper won’t be in Shanghai for the upcoming Masters 1000 event due to an injury sustained during his recent run at the Japan Open.
Draper unfortunately has lots of experience with missing events, as the British player has missed many so far in his career. Despite being one of the most talented players, he was frequently denied the chance to develop himself as a player in the past couple of years due to various injuries.
At times, it got so bad that he thought about stopping because it didn’t seem like he would be able to get back. Patience and persistence are incredible virtues to have, and Draper had plenty of both in the months leading up to his most recent breakout. He was able to nurse himself to solid health.
He started to play more and more, and with every victory, Draper became more and more confident. Eventually, it culminated in a sensational US Open run, which in fairness was helped by the draw clearing up quite a bit, but he still played well. He beat several good players to find himself in the final, where Jannik Sinner proved too much.
Even so, it was precisely what he needed. The run gave him a confidence boost, which would serve him well as we slowly transition into indoor tennis, where he plays really well. It also earned him valuable experience, which he lacked due to not being able to play much tennis because of the injuries.
On top of all that, it showed him that his body can handle lots of tennis. He’s likely never going to be an ironman, but after many injuries, he developed some serious doubts about whether he could really do this, and the US Open run kind of dispelled all of that. The return happened at the Japan Open, where he played last year as well.
Draper was looking rather solid as he won a couple of matches, setting up a quarter-final against Ugo Humbert. That match was going kind of well, but the Brit faltered as it went on. He then took a medical timeout for what seemed to be an abdominal issue but opted to continue playing. He wouldn’t last long, though, as he retired early in the second set.
It didn’t look particularly troublesome, though you never want to see a player retire like that. It clearly signalled that something was wrong, and it doesn’t seem like it’s a good thing. Draper has officially withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters, which means that it was significant enough to prevent him from playing at the event, which begins in a few days.
There haven’t been any reports as to what precisely the issue is, but it will become known. The hope right now is that whatever it is, it’s not major and doesn’t completely derail what might have been a possible strong finish to the season for Draper.
It’s a familiar story, unfortunately, but there is nothing official yet, so it’s impossible to know what’s in store for him. He won’t be in Shanghai, that’s the only certainty.
Leave a Reply