Jack Draper made Flushing Meadows his first appearance after his shock early exit at Wimbledon in July. Soon after that, he was diagnosed with a humerus injury in his left hand, a bone that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. Arriving a week earlier to test his skills despite an eight-week resting time, Draper turned heads with his physique, reaching the mixed doubles SFs with partner Jessica Pegula. He also secured a tricky first-round win over Federico Agustin Gomez. But a day later, while practicing, he realized he wasn’t ready yet.

On Wednesday, the US Open’s official X account announced, “Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Men’s Singles event with an injury. Zizou Bergs advances to the third round by walkover.” Following that, Draper apologized to his hopeful fans, tweeting, “Hi guys, I’m sorry to say I’ll be withdrawing from the US Open. I tried my very best to be here and give myself the 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. Thank you for all the support.” 

Draper showed grit and power in his first singles match in New York, earning a 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2 win over Gomez. During the match, Jack Draper broke once to take the first set, appeared on track for an easy second set, but Gomez pushed back hard to lead 3-0 in the third and edged the tiebreak to keep the fight alive.

However, the 23-year-old regained control in the fourth and dispatched Gomez as the Argentine couldn’t maintain his momentum. He was due to play Zizou Bergs on Thursday, but the Belgian will move on to the next round with a walkover.

Talking about how he got the injury after the match, the Britishman said, “I felt like my arm was shutting down a little bit when I was hitting forehands and on the serve. It got progressively a bit worse. Then on the grass it got quite painful. I didn’t know what I was dealing with. After the grass, I got it checked out. It is one of those where if you keep playing with it, it could become very, very serious. Saying that, it was not so bad because I could do a lot of other things as well physically. It wasn’t like I had to stop completely.”

Still, the former semi-finalist at the event did not want to give up without trying, as he had also said, “It’s an injury which takes time to heal. A bone can heal but it might be giving me some discomfort. I have been looking after this for a while so I’m looking forward to just getting back competing. I don’t feel like I’ll be holding back at all.”

Draper did not have a practice session on the court in the one and a half months of break. So, the mixed doubles stint was his practice. And he, for one, definitely thought that it was a much better way to get into the flow. However, the bone injury that has nagged him for months returned again. Now with him out, fans are left to wonder what could have been.

Fans wish well for Jack Draper following withdrawal announcement

Under the US Open’s tweet, sports journalist Pavvy G wrote, “Jack Draper is OUT of the @usopen Very unusual as he didn’t look injured at all in his last match. Wish him a swift recovery.” That reaction came after the Brit’s impressive R1 win. But Draper hasn’t only impressed at this tournament—2025 has been a big year for him.

He battled through three five-set marathons to reach the Australian Open fourth round, then grabbed the spotlight at Indian Wells by beating Taylor Fritz, dethroning Carlos Alcaraz, and outclassing Holger Rune to claim his first Masters 1000 title and a Top 10 debut. His momentum carried onto clay, where a stunning run to the Madrid Open final made him the youngest Brit in the Open Era to reach finals on all three surfaces and propelled him into the world’s Top 5.

Another fan pointed out, “Wow. Massive bummer for tennis. Jack Draper 2025 Slam Season: 8-4. Makes the 4th Round twice (RG & AO) Doesn’t get the breakout moment he was looking for this year.” Entering New York, the Brit No. 1 was a favorite for a deep run. In fact, many wanted to see him go against Jannik Sinner to avenge his loss last year at the same court. Which is why his US Open exit stung even more. One fan summed it up, “That’s a sickening blow for the British number 1. He was the big favourite to beat Sinner with his tremendous form this season.”

Last year offered a glimpse of his grit in New York, when Draper marched to the semifinals. He went toe-to-toe with World No.1—and close friend—Jannik Sinner in brutal, humid conditions. Draper even threw up four times, battling nausea and pausing mid-match, but he played on. Sinner eventually won the title last year.

His journey has often been defined by physical struggles. Injuries and illness slowed him down in the past, yet this year he proved his caliber beyond question. But that persistent arm issue returned. It first flared up during clay season, then worsened at Wimbledon. As one user noted, “It’s not out of nowhere, he shouldn’t have even played, but he just signed a massive sponsorship deal with Vouri to be the ‘face of the brand’ & he basically came in for that.”

Indeed, the sponsorship headlines have loomed large. Jack Draper split with longtime sponsor Nike and announced his new partnership with Vouri just before the US Open. He even turned heads in their sleeveless kit during his mixed doubles and R1 matches. It was clear he wanted another strong Slam campaign in New York.

Fans, though, couldn’t resist lighthearted digs. One joked, “Bro was playing at 500% at mixed doubles exhibition only to withdraw from the real event ffs.” Draper appeared fully committed in mixed doubles with Jessica Pegula, reaching the semifinals. With no warm-ups leading into the Slam, that was his way of tuning up for singles. However, the injury aggravated, and he had to retire.

Now, focus shifts to his recovery. With the Asian Swing on deck, no one knows what Draper can deliver. But if this season has shown anything, it’s that he belongs among the game’s elite. He has fought through setbacks before. So here’s the question—will Jack bounce back stronger once again? Share your thoughts below, and don’t forget to catch every update on the US Open live blog at EssentiallySports!