While Arthur Fery’s historic run at Wimbledon has been nothing short of sensational, the 2026 Championships were not the best advert for British tennis.
The opening round of the men’s and women’s singles draws saw the worst results for British players at the tournament in over a decade, with just four of 19 home stars making it through to round two, and only Fery reaching the third round.
What would be the biggest upset?
Arthur Fery winning Wimbledon or Emma Raducanu's 2021 US Open win
Arguably Britain’s best hopes in SW19 both withdrew before the tournament: Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.
Draper, who was scheduled to face Taylor Fritz in the first round, pulled out before the clash with the American due to a recurring left arm injury.
The 24-year-old has endured an injury-ridden season which has forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
But after a disappointing end to the grass swing for Draper, his return to action in North America has been confirmed.
Jack Draper given wildcard to event in North America
Draper will return to action on the ATP Tour later this month after receiving a wildcard for the Washington Open.
He joins Venus Williams, Kei Nishikori, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ben Shelton and Jessica Pegula in the list of wildcards for the event.
The Washington Open kicks off the North American hard-court swing, and is followed by two ATP Masters 1000 competitions in Canada and Cincinnati, as well as the fourth and final major of the year: US Open.
Draper has appeared in Washington just once before, with his sole campaign coming in the 2022 season, when he was knocked out in the second round.
How concerned are you that injuries could disrupt Jack Draper from reaching his full potential?
The last tournament Draper played was at the Eastbourne Open, where he made the semifinals before losing to Ugo Humbert.
Andy Murray’s future as Jack Draper’s coach following grass swing
Draper was coached by British tennis legend Andy Murray at the Eastbourne Open, having hired him ahead of the grass swing.
The coaching gig was Murray’s first since parting ways with Novak Djokovic last year.
Murray was appointed to coach Draper for the grass-court season, but when the Scot was asked if he wanted to stay in the position long-term, he replied: “I hope so.”
Draper is currently ranked 131st in the world due to his injury setbacks, after being as high as fourth.
He has tallied a season win-loss record of 8-5 in 2026, with three of those wins clinched under the guidance of Murray.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
