Britain's two leading tennis hopes, Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, have begun the 2026 season again hampered by physical problems, raising familiar questions about their ability to stay fit. The pair were due to represent Great Britain together at the United Cup, but neither was fully prepared for the start of the campaign.
Raducanu withdrew from her scheduled opening match against Naomi Osaka because of a foot injury that disrupted her off-season. She did play in the team's second tie against Greece, facing Maria Sakkari, but her lack of preparation showed as she struggled with timing and faded physically in the deciding set. She now has a week to sharpen up ahead of her first individual tournament in Hobart.
Draper's situation is more significant. He missed the entire Australian Open swing while recovering from a bone bruise on his left arm, an issue that has kept him out for at least six months. Since the US Open, where he won his first-round match before withdrawing, he has played just once. Draper said he was in the final stages of recovery, and that the gruelling best-of-five-set format in Australia was a factor in his decision to skip the event. He has, however, been named in Great Britain's Davis Cup team for their qualifier against Norway in early February.
Injuries have long defined Draper's career. He retired from his first ATP match in Miami in 2021 with cramps, and a shoulder injury in 2023 forced him to miss Wimbledon and much of the summer. That setback had a transformative effect, leading to a breakthrough run that included a US Open semi-final, an Indian Wells title and a career-high ranking of No 4. Yet his match count remains strikingly low: just 169 ATP main-draw matches, far fewer than contemporaries such as Carlos Alcaraz (345), Jannik Sinner (407), Félix Auger-Aliassime (436), Lorenzo Musetti (310) and even Ben Shelton, who turned professional later.
For Draper, this is likely to be a critical year. His recent results have shown he can challenge for the biggest titles, but the recurring physical setbacks mean he has had little opportunity to build sustained momentum. The coming months, starting with the Davis Cup tie in February, will be crucial in determining whether Britain's fragile frontrunner can finally break the cycle.
