British No.1 Jack Draper has pulled out of his second round clash against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs at the US Open due to injury.
The fifth seed played his first round match on Monday against Argentina’s Federico Gomez, whom he defeated 6-4, 7-5, 6-7, 6-2. That was the first match Draper had played since Wimbledon after missing a duo of Masters 1000 events due to what he described at the time as a minor left arm injury.
Despite the issue, he initially insisted his arm was holding up well during an interview with the Press Association that was published just hours before news of his withdrawal.
“The arm for me is not a question mark,” Draper told the PA news agency.
“It’s more been my preparation for the tournament, how quickly am I going to be able to get back to playing top level on the hard courts, like I was at the start of the year.
“It was never going to be perfect and match by match I’m going to grow in confidence.
“I’m never someone who has lots of expectations on myself anyway. I’m someone who goes match by match and usually, because of my preparation, because of different things, it works out.
“I’d never enter one of these tournaments if I was here just to play a couple of matches – I wouldn’t play. I’m here to hopefully go a long way in this draw and I believe I can still.”
Since those comments, the 23-year-old has decided that he is unable to continue his US Open bid because the discomfort in his arm is ‘too much.’ He had been recently practicing on the courts in New York, but it is unclear as to when he made his decision.
“I’m sorry to say I’ll be withdrawing from the US open. I tried my very best to be here and give myself every chance to play but the discomfort in my arm has become too much and I have to do what is right and look after myself,” Draper wrote on social media platform X.
The setback comes during what has been a breakthrough year for Draper, who won the biggest title of his career at the Indian Wells Masters in March. He was also runner-up at the Madrid Masters and Doha Open. During the clay swing, he broke into the top five for the first time in his career.
No further details have been given about Draper’s ongoing injury and whether it could have any implications on his schedule for the rest of 2025.
Meanwhile, Bergs is through to the third round at Flushing Meadows for the first time in his career. He will play either the 31st seed, Gabriel Diallo, or Spain’s Jaume Munar.
