Injured Draper follows Raducanu out of Wimbledon without hitting a ball

Jack Draper, a former world number four, has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon due to a recurrence of an arm injury, delivering a second major disappointment for British fans after Emma Raducanu's earlier withdrawal. The 24-year-old Briton announced his withdrawal on Monday, just before his scheduled first-round match.

Draper, who had previously cut short his last season due to a bone injury in his arm and has been dealing with a knee issue this year, expressed his deep disappointment. "Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury," he stated. He described the current situation as the "absolute worst" pain he has experienced in the past 12 months, emphasizing the profound honor of playing at Wimbledon for any British player.

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Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury

His withdrawal means he will not face American world number seven Taylor Fritz in his opening match. Serbian lucky loser Dusan Lajovic has been named as Draper's replacement in the draw. This development leaves Wimbledon without two of Britain's most prominent tennis figures, as Raducanu, the former U.S. Open champion, had also withdrawn on Sunday due to a stress fracture in her lower right leg.

Earlier on the opening day, other British players also faced early exits. 17-year-old Mika Stojsavljevic lost to Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic, and Max Basing was defeated by Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki. Wildcard Felix Gill also exited the tournament after losing to Spanish debutant Rafa Jodar. Draper had previously voiced concerns about the increasing number of injuries in men's tennis, suggesting that tournaments could suffer if the issue is not addressed.

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There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at Wimbledon.