Jack Draper was knocked out of the Montreal Masters 1000 in the second round by France's Terence Atmane, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. The British player broke down in tears at the changeover during the third set, visibly hampered by pain in his left arm that once again threatens to derail his season.
A comeback cut short
Draper had targeted Montreal as the starting point for his return to competition following a lengthy absence caused by recurring problems with his left arm, his playing arm. The opening set, lost 3-6 against Atmane, quickly revealed that the Briton was far from full fitness. Draper found the resources to respond in the second set, dominating his opponent 6-2 with flashes of the top-15 player he can be at his best. The improvement proved short-lived.
Third-set tears
In the decider, Draper fell apart. As the games slipped away in Atmane's favour, the Briton showed increasingly visible signs of physical distress. At the changeover, cameras captured him with his face buried in his towel, in tears. The left arm pain that has haunted him for months was back with a vengeance. Atmane, showing no mercy, powered through to close out 6-2 and claim the biggest result of his season, his first victory over a seed at a Masters 1000.
For Draper, this exit goes far beyond a routine second-round defeat. The 24-year-old has made multiple comeback attempts this season, each time halted by the same arm problem. The accumulated frustration boiled over on the Montreal centre court, in a scene that moved the entire tennis world. Jessica Pegula publicly reacted to Draper's distress, reflecting the solidarity across the locker room over his plight.
What this loss means going forward
The pattern of repeated setbacks raises a painful question about Draper's ability to return to his best level on a sustained basis. The North American hard-court swing was supposed to mark the start of a new chapter. With Cincinnati and the US Open on the horizon, the calendar waits for no one, but Draper's left arm is dictating an entirely different timeline.
Key numbers
Draper was beaten by Atmane 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the Montreal second round. The Frenchman records his first victory over a seed at a Masters 1000 this season. Draper has won just three matches across his last six tournament entries, consistently held back by left arm pain.
