Jack Draper has confirmed he will miss next month's Australian Open, as the British No 1 continues his recovery from a left arm injury. The 24-year-old has played only one match since Wimbledon, with bone bruising curtailing his 2025 season.
In a video posted on X on Boxing Day, Draper said: 'Unfortunately, me and my team have decided not to head out to Australia this year. It's a really, really tough decision, obviously [with] Australia being a grand slam, it's one of the biggest tournaments in our sport.' He added that returning to best-of-five-set tennis so soon 'doesn't seem like a smart decision right now'.
The world No 10's arm injury worsened at the US Open in August, forcing him to withdraw from his second-round match and end his season early. He had planned to return at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown grand final in London earlier this month but opted to take more recovery time on medical advice.
Draper now aims to return in February, ahead of defending his Indian Wells title in early March. He described the injury as 'the most difficult, the most challenging, the most complex one that I've had', but said it has made him 'more resilient' and 'hungrier' to succeed in 2026.
