Jack Draper Breaks Down in Tears as Injury Concern Returns During Montreal Defeat

Jack Draper’s long-awaited return to competitive tennis ended in heartbreak on Tuesday night as the British star broke down in tears during a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 defeat to France’s Terence Atmane at the National Bank Open in Montreal.

Playing in just his sixth tournament of 2026 and his first match since withdrawing from Wimbledon, Draper appeared to suffer a recurrence of the arm injury that has plagued him for more than a year. The 24-year-old showed flashes of his best tennis, particularly during a dominant second set, but his level collapsed dramatically in the deciding set as the power disappeared from both his serve and groundstrokes.

The most emotional moment of the match came when Draper trailed 4-1 in the final set. During the changeover, he sat on his chair and was seen crying uncontrollably, leaving commentators and fans deeply concerned about both his physical condition and the emotional toll of his lengthy injury battle.

Despite his distress, Draper continued playing and even threatened a late comeback, earning opportunities to break back before Atmane eventually sealed victory after one hour and 52 minutes.

The defeat is another cruel setback for a player who had established himself as one of the brightest talents in men’s tennis. Draper reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in June 2025, emerging as one of the strongest challengers to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

However, around that same period he began suffering from a bone bruise in his left arm, an injury that has repeatedly interrupted his progress. Although he managed impressive runs to the Indian Wells quarter-finals and the Eastbourne semi-finals, he has struggled to remain healthy enough to compete consistently.

Former world No. 1 Sir Andy Murray has been part of Draper’s coaching team since May, but Montreal marked only the second tournament the pair have been able to work together on the ATP Tour. Draper had spoken optimistically before the event about a “rebirth” in his career, saying he finally felt he was moving in the right direction after months of rehabilitation.

Those hopes now appear uncertain again.

Draper has already received a wild card into next week’s Cincinnati Open, but his performance in Montreal is likely to raise fresh doubts about whether he will be fit enough to compete there or at the US Open, which begins on August 30.

Sky Sports commentator Annabel Croft described the scene as “very upsetting” and suggested the emotional outburst was almost certainly linked to Draper’s injury.

“He couldn’t hold it in and he let it all out,” Croft said. “I think we both felt that it was to do with this horrible injury that might have reared its ugly head again, and the knowledge of what it has taken for him to get back on court.”

She also pointed to the dramatic drop in speed on Draper’s serve and his reluctance to strike his groundstrokes with full force during the final set, further indicating that the arm problem may have resurfaced.

There was better news elsewhere for British tennis, with Jacob Fearnley defeating Adrian Mannarino in straight sets to reach the next round, while Cameron Norrie is also through after his opening-round victory.

Draper’s defeat came on a difficult day for the ATP Tour, with Carlos Alcaraz also withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open as he continues recovering from a right wrist injury. Alcaraz has not played competitively since April, raising questions about his readiness to defend his US Open title later this month.

For Draper, the immediate concern is whether this latest setback will delay his comeback once again. The tears in Montreal suggested that the frustration of repeated injuries may now be weighing as heavily on him mentally as it has physically.