Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Queen's Club ATP tournament scheduled for mid-June 2026 to delay his comeback from a right knee injury by one more week. The 24-year-old British player will now aim to return at the Eastbourne Open, set for June 22-27 [1, 2, 3].
Draper has not played competitively since retiring from his only clay court match of the season in Barcelona on April 13, 2026, when he suffered a tendon issue in his right knee [1, 2, 3]. He was optimistic about being fit for the French Open starting May 24 but was advised against rushing back to five-set clay court tennis [1].
"Recovery is going in the right direction, but I'm going to give myself one more week and aim to return at Eastbourne," Draper said. "It's very hard to miss one of my favourite events of the year" [1, 2, 3].
Draper was a semi-finalist at Queen's Club last year and his withdrawal comes amid a field depleted of big names, including reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz [2, 3]. After reaching a career-high ranking of world number four last summer, Draper has dropped outside the ATP top 100 in 2026 [1, 2, 3]. He has played only eight Tour-level matches this year due to injuries, including a long-term bone bruise in his serving arm in 2025 [1, 2, 3].
Adding to his grass court preparations, Draper brought three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray onto his coaching team according to one source, while others note Murray as a two-time Wimbledon champion [1, 2, 3].
Draper hopes to be match-ready in time for Wimbledon starting June 29, following his planned comeback at Eastbourne [1].
