Full Breakdown
Jack Draper Withdraws from French Open, Slides Out of Top 100 Ahead of Wimbledon
5/1/2026, 9:51:51 PM
Withdrawal & Ranking
Jack Draper confirmed on May 30 that he will not compete at Roland Garros, citing an aggravated knee-tendon injury after retiring in the first round of the Barcelona Open. Skipping the tournament removes the points he earned in Paris last season, a fall from world No. 28 to outside the ATP top 100.
Injury History
Draper returned in February after a six-month layoff for a lingering left-arm problem that also kept him out of Australian Open. He has since played nine matches in five events, including a quarter-final at Indian Wells where he beat Novak Djokovic. He retired in March at Barcelona because of the knee and withdrew from Madrid and Rome Masters in April.
Official Statements
Draper said his knee is “on the mend” but doctors urged him to skip Roland Garros. Marion Bartoli described missing a Slam as “gut-ting” and highlighted the difficulty of returning at capacity. Greg Rusedski warned that a premature comeback could cause another injury.
Criticism
Colin Fleming argued the best-of-five format on clay likely influenced Draper’s withdrawal, noting the physical demands pose a heightened risk for a player.
Points Conflict
One report says Draper will lose 850 points from withdrawals in Madrid, Rome and Paris; another cites a 400-point loss from Rome and the French Open. Agree the 680 points from his 2023 Madrid final will also drop.
Wimbledon Outlook
Despite the ranking drop, Draper meets the Wimbledon entry cut-off and will compete unseeded. He could draw a top seed such as No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev in round one. A return at Stuttgart Open (June 8) or the Queen’s Club Championships could give match practice before Wimbledon, which starts on June 29.
Verbatim Quotes
"My knee is on the mend and I’ve started back hitting balls, but unfortunately, I have been advised not to play Roland Garros… by giving myself the time to heal and build, I can be the player I want to be out there once again." — Jack Draper, Player
"As gutting as it is to miss another slam… the advice is not to rush straight back." — Jack Draper, Player
"I think the best-of-five is a factor. I think it was a factor in Australia where he pulled out… It seems to be the same sort of decision ahead of Roland-Garros." — Colin Fleming, Former British doubles star
"We knew it would be a tough year to come back after injury, but it's always disappointing to miss a Grand Slam and for him to make the call so early, it's the same as Carlos Alcaraz - must be a really difficult injury to treat," — Marion Bartoli, Former Wimbledon champion
