Why Britain’s Draper had to retire injured again

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park

Due to physical issues, Jack Draper has previously had to withdraw from a Grand Slam game.

When Carlos Alcaraz lost 7-5 6-1 on Sunday in the fourth round of the Australian Open, the British number one said it was “sensible” to quit.

Draper, 23, came into the first major of the season underprepared after his off-season was ruined by a hip injury.

To prepare for a meeting with Spanish third seed Alcaraz, he outlasted three successive opponents in Melbourne five-set matches.

Draper looked forward to advancing his physical strength before the start of the 2025 season with his best year of career in 2024, winning his first ATP titles, becoming the British number one, and reaching the semi-finals.

But his hip injury, which Draper says flared up after a “week of pre-season” in December, ended those plans.

He said, “I basically had tendinitis in my hip, which I needed to have checked out.”

There have been problems in that area for me, and they haven’t stopped. I’m still dealing with that.

” In pre-season, it went into my back and I couldn’t walk. It was really difficult. “

Before departing for Australia between Christmas and the New Year, Draper claimed he was unable to play for “about two to three weeks.”

In the days leading up to his opening game, he started hitting once more at Melbourne Park before practicing against Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

Former British number one Annabel Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, “You have to feel so sorry for him.”

You lose that momentum and training time because he repeatedly returns with a setback.

The left-handed Englishman once criticized being referred to as “the guy who hurts a lot” in a time that wasn’t long ago.

He made the comment after he injured his shoulder during his main-drawn debut at the 2023 French Open.

Draper has missed eight Tour-level matches, including three majors, since making his ATP debut in 2021.

Alcaraz has only stopped once since October 2022, and three more times in the same time frame.

Roger Federer famously never retired in a 25-year career spanning 1, 750 matches.

Asked if he was worried about getting a reputation, Draper said: “Not particularly, because I’ve barely done that in the last 18 months.

Despite having to call it a day against Alcaraz, it is clear Draper’s durability has improved.

Before this year’s Australian Open, he had never played back-to-back matches that extended to the fifth set.

He has won three games in a row on the court in a total of 12 hours, 34 minutes, over the course of the previous week.

He has added that his strength comes from working hard with his physio Will Herbert and his physical trainer Steve Kotze, who he describes as the “best in the world.”

Draper sought professional help to get over the anxiety that caused him to vomit on the court during his US Open semi-final defeat against Sinner in September.

He has been practicing what he calls a “breathing coach,” learning to exhale more through his nose than his mouth, which is assisting him in not being overly tight “in pressure situations and” go for longer “in sapping matches.”

” My body hasn’t been exactly where I’ve wanted it to be over my career so far, but I feel I’ve been making incredibly positive strides, “Draper said.

” It’s only a matter of time until I get it all right and it all comes together, and I can be more and more resilient.

Due to the physicality of modern tennis, where the shot-making is getting more and the movement needs to be even more precise, hip injuries are a common issue.

Andy Murray, Draper’s idol, famously needed two hip surgeries, but while Draper admits he might have to “manage” the area over the rest of his career, he is not worried about any potential long-term effects just yet.

Making “smart decisions” will be key – including tough ones like stopping against Alcaraz.

He already made the decision to skip Britain’s Davis Cup game against Japan on January 31 and will return to action the following week at an ATP 500 event in Rotterdam.

“Everything is load management”, said Draper.

“The key is having that consistent time where you’re injury-free – having time to train, time to get your body right.

” If you’re dealing with injuries and playing through pain and taking painkillers, then it’s not ideal.