Draper: "I feel very good and I am preparing for 2026 to be a great year"

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Jack Draper is looking forward to returning. The Brit had a dream start to the season but it was cut short by a shoulder injury that ended his season after the US Open. Nonetheless, he will end the year among the top ten players in the world, confirming his potential and what he can still demonstrate.

In terms of results, 2025 was more than positive for Jack Draper. Champion at Indian Wells, finalist at the Mutua Madrid Open, and quarterfinalist at Rome, the Brit emerged as a surprise and a threat on the circuit. However, his intense clay court swing and eagerness to perform well in front of his home crowd at Wimbledon led him to overwork himself. This resulted in a bone injury in the humerus, forcing him to end the season after the US Open.

After several months away from the courts, Draper gave a couple of interviews to Tennis Podcast and Independent, where he reviewed his successful 2025, disclosed the origin of his shoulder injury, revealed the date of his return to the courts, and discussed the overcrowded tennis calendar.

Injury Update

"The arm is improving. I started the year very well, taking advantage of the good momentum from last year. I played many matches and felt my game improving week after week, on all surfaces."

Jack Draper reveals the origin of his shoulder discomfort that led him to end the season at the US Open

"I always wanted to perform well on clay. I hadn't proven it yet. I had a good clay court season, but I was dealing with nagging arm pain since the time of Madrid. Around Wimbledon and Roland Garros, the pain intensified significantly, so I had to see a doctor. I had a bone injury in the humerus. From there, I took some time off, but I wanted to return for the US Open."

A Misdiagnosis Rushed His Return

"I had to come back and figure out what was going on. Basically, I think I had an MRI scan that gave me false hope, and perhaps the report was incorrect. Everything seemed fine, but when I got there, the pain was too intense, so I had to go back home and take it very seriously. I needed some rest time. But now I feel very good and I'm preparing for 2026 to be a great year."

"I don't regret playing the US Open because I'm an athlete, I want to achieve great things. I was in a great moment before Wimbledon, both with my ranking and my tennis, and I wanted to keep going. It was a shame I couldn't. But maybe that rush to return is part of the reason I ended up getting injured because I was pushing too hard to improve quickly."

Areas to Improve in His Tennis for 2026

"I can improve a lot, both physically and mentally, in my tennis. I can be more aggressive; I know I already have a very complete game in terms of defense and the will to win, but now I think it's about maximizing my resources to compete, especially with those two at the top of tennis."

On the Current State of Tennis

"Tennis is a sport where players are the most valuable asset, and communication between the Grand Slams, the ATP, the WTA, and the ITF leaves much to be desired. Each works in isolation, and that's why I believe the sport is not at its best."

"We earn a lot of money, I understand that perfectly. So I understand that part perfectly. There hasn't been much transparency between the events and the players, and although the players receive a lot of money, I think it's necessary for people outside the sport to have an open mindset and understand that it's not always the players who complain about wanting more money. The players simply advocate for positive changes because things are not right," concludes Jack Draper, who after the rollercoaster of emotions in 2025, will aim to take a step forward in 2026, accompanied by greater consistency.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Draper: "Me siento muy bien y estoy preparándome para que 2026 sea un gran año"