Jack Draper could be taking a big risk following a decision he has made ahead of the Australian Open.
Draper ended his season after the US Open due to an arm injury, which has prevented him from playing more than one singles match since Wimbledon.
The British number one was supposed to play an exhibition event in an encouraging sign, but Draper then concerningly withdrew from the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) event in London.
Draper has now confirmed his tournaments ahead of the Australian Open, but he may have made a big mistake.
Jack Draper could be playing too many tournaments ahead of the Australian Open
Draper’s arm injury has been a particular concern as of late, with it currently unclear as to how much this will impact his career going forward.
However, after playing just one singles match since Wimbledon, Draper has decided to enter both the United Cup and the Adelaide International.
While it is understandable that Draper wants to get as much tennis in as possible after missing so much of the second half of the 2025 season, this seems to be far too risky for a player who appears to be so physically fragile.
This feels especially prevalent as following back-to-back weeks at the United Cup and the Adelaide International, Draper will then have to go straight into playing best-of-five matches at the Australian Open.
The last thing that Draper will want to do after having so much time away from the ATP Tour is to aggravate his arm injury again by playing too much tennis too soon and then have to spend even longer on the sidelines.
Hopefully for Draper’s sake, he has just entered two tournaments to have the option of playing both and then decides to withdraw from the Adelaide International if he gets the matches he feels he needs at the United Cup.
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After Draper won Indian Wells and reached a career-high ranking of world number four earlier this year, there was a lot of excitement about the Briton being a potential challenger to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Although it is unlikely that he will be feeling this way as a top 10 player and professional athlete, the 2026 Australian Open is probably not going to be the Grand Slam tournament where Draper will be able to produce his best results.
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Draper is also not as comfortable on clay compared to other surfaces, and it would seem improbable for him to challenge the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner at the French Open.
However, what should be a realistic goal for Draper, other than being fully fit, is to improve his Wimbledon record.
Despite it being his home Grand Slam tournament, it is the major where Draper has produced his worst results, having still never surpassed the second round.
Draper lost to Marin Cilic at Wimbledon earlier this year, in what appeared to be the start of his injury downfall.
With his huge weaponry serve and game style, Draper should really suit the grass courts and be able to play his best tennis at Wimbledon in years to come.
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