Jack Draper has announced his withdrawal from Wimbledon, citing a persistent arm injury that has hampered him for much of the past year. The announcement came just 24 hours before his scheduled first-round match.
Draper, who reached the semi-finals of the Eastbourne tournament last week, was set to face American sixth seed Taylor Fritz on Centre Court. However, the injury, described as bone bruising in his serving arm, has once again prevented him from competing in a Grand Slam event.
"There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months, but this one is definitely the absolute worst," Draper stated. The setback marks another significant blow for British tennis at Wimbledon, following Emma Raducanu's withdrawal on Sunday due to a stress fracture in her right leg.
Draper had spoken to media at Wimbledon on Sunday and did not indicate he was experiencing renewed issues with his arm. He did, however, comment on the overall number of injuries affecting top players, calling it "pretty worrying."