Jack Draper has been named as a wild card for the National Bank Open in Montreal, continuing his recovery from an arm injury that has sidelined him for the entire grand slam season.
Injury-plagued season
The 24-year-old former world No4 withdrew from Wimbledon hours before his first-round match against Taylor Fritz, and also missed the Australian Open and French Open due to the same arm problem. He has not played a competitive match since his withdrawal from the Mubadala DC Open earlier this week.
Ranked now at No147 in the world, Draper is eager to return to the court. "I'm really excited to be playing in Montreal," he said in a statement. "It's a tournament I've enjoyed, and I have great memories of reaching the quarterfinals here a few years ago. I'm looking forward to getting back on court and competing in front of the Canadian fans again."
Wild card announcement
National Bank Open tournament director Valerie Tetreault confirmed the wild card entry, saying: "We’re thrilled to announce the final wild card recipients for this year’s National Bank Open. With these latest additions, our main draw now features five Canadians and two standout players in Gael Monfils and Jack Draper, both of whom have the potential to make a deep run. With former finalist Kei Nishikori and three more Canadians in the qualifying draw, fans can look forward to memorable moments from day one."
Draper will now aim to build momentum ahead of the US Open, the final grand slam of the year, which begins in September at Flushing Meadows.
