The day after Jack Draper claimed that his arm wasn’t a problem, he decided to leave the United States.
USTA announced this on Wednesday, stating that his second-round opponent, Zizou Bergs, would advance due to a walkover.
Draper shared on X that he had to pull out because of a left arm injury he has been managing since early this year.
“Hi everyone, I regret to say I’m withdrawing from the US Open,” Draper noted. “I really tried to make it here and was eager to compete, but the discomfort in my arm has been significant, and I need to prioritize my health. Thank you all for the support.”
Draper had entered the tournament not having played a grand slam event in over seven weeks, following a diagnosis of a bone bruise in his left humerus. He won his first-round match against Federico Agustin Gomez on Monday, asserting to PA News Agency that his arm was “not a question mark.”
“I prepared for the tournament thinking I could perform at my best level on hard courts, like I did earlier this year,” he explained. “It’s never a perfect situation, and gaining confidence through matches was crucial for me.”
He expressed, “If my goal was just to play a few matches, I wouldn’t even enter these kinds of tournaments. I aim to go far in this competition.”
At the time of his pullout, Draper was ranked 5th in the world.
Previously, he had lost in the second round of Wimbledon against Marin Cilic and had skipped tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati leading up to the US Open.
Draper had been quite optimistic about his chances going into the tournament. Just before it started, he mentioned, “I’m really excited about the US Open. I feel great personally and with my tennis, and I can’t wait to be back out there.”
