Draper has 'very, very big' mountain to climb in bid to return to his best

Jack Draper's return to form suffered another setback on Thursday as he lost in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. The injury-plagued British player fell 6-3, 7-5 to Martin Landaluce. Draper, who achieved a career-high ranking in 2025, has battled a bone injury in his arm and a knee issue this year. He returned to competition at the Canadian Open after withdrawing from Wimbledon in June, where he was visibly emotional after his first-round loss. In Cincinnati, Draper held a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Landaluce mounted a comeback, winning five consecutive games to secure the victory. "The way I'm usually able to fight for every ball and conduct myself, it's just missing," Draper told reporters. Ranked 143rd, his early exits from Montreal and Cincinnati mean he will likely need to qualify for the U.S. Open, a tournament where he was a semi-finalist in 2024. The 24-year-old described his current situation as a "very, very big" mountain to climb, reflecting on the significant changes he must make to his game. The U.S. Open is scheduled to begin on August 30.

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The way I'm usually able to fight for every ball and conduct myself, it's just missing.