The bad news dropped on Wednesday evening. Jack Draper will not play Roland-Garros this year. The 24-year-old Brit, still hampered by a tendon issue in his right knee, announced on social media that he would skip the Parisian Grand Slam after already withdrawing from Madrid, Rome, and Hamburg.
"My knee is on the mend and I've started back hitting balls, but unfortunately I have been advised not to play Roland-Garros," the left-hander wrote on Instagram Stories. A measured statement from a player who has absorbed blow after blow in recent weeks without ever complaining publicly.
Draper's 2026 season has been a rollercoaster. In March, he reached the quarter-finals at Indian Wells by beating Novak Djokovic, reminding everyone he belonged among the sport's elite. Then everything collapsed in Barcelona, where he retired in the first round against Etcheverry with his knee on fire.
The ranking drop will be severe. Currently world No. 28, Draper is set to lose around 400 points and fall outside the top 100. For a player who was ranked fourth in the world in June 2025, the contrast is staggering.
Draper is not the only star missing Roland-Garros this year. Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, also withdrew earlier this week due to a right wrist injury. The men's draw at the Porte d'Auteuil is losing two of its most exciting players.
The Brit is now targeting a comeback during the grass-court season. Queen's and Wimbledon remain on his radar, provided the knee cooperates. For a player whose game was built for grass — a devastating serve, sharp volleying reflexes, a punishing first delivery — it could be the perfect stage to reignite his season.
