By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 14, 2026
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
The North American summer hard court season looms like a mountain range for Jack Draper.
The former world No. 4 concedes the comeback climb is a massive mission.
Draper broke down in tears on the changeover during his three-set Montreal loss to Terence Atmane.
World No. 143 Draper suffered a gut-wrenching 6-3, 7-5 loss to Martin Landalcue in his Cincinnati Open opener on Thursday.
The left-handed Draper led 5-2 and held six set points, but dropped five games in a row to fall. Draper, who held a set point serving at 5-2 then held two set points on Landaluce’s serve at 5-3 and three more set points on his own serve at 5-4, said he’s digging deep but the lack of match play leaves him short on answers.
“The way I’m usually able to fight for every ball and conduct myself, it’s just missing,” Draper told the media in Cincinnati.
The 2025 Indian Wells champion has been pained by a left arm injury for the last year. Though Draper reached the Eastbourne semifinals in June, he was forced to pull out of Wimbledon because of the bone bruise to his left arm and has played only two matches since.
Given his ranking drop, Draper will likely have to play US Open qualifying in order to play the Flushing Meadows major. Draper, who played US Open Mixed Doubles with Jessica Pegula and is partnering her again this month, said the past year of pain makes the comeback climb even tougher.
“The level of my fall almost from where I was last year and the amount of things that I’m having to change in my tennis,” Draper said. “The mountain seems very, very big.”
0 comments