Jack Draper has now withdrawn from a second consecutive Grand Slam, having confirmed his decision to miss the upcoming Australian Open.
This follows an injury-riddled summer, which saw the British number one miss a significant amount of tennis before being forced to pull out of the US Open despite winning his first-round match.
It has left many worried for the 25-year-old, whose string of bad luck continues.
However, when delving deeper into his video statement announcing his intent to withdraw, there is a shred of positivity to be had that suggests he’s trying to be smarter with his career.
Jack Draper takes his own advice by withdrawing from Australian Open
In a video posted on Boxing Day, he admitted: “Unfortunately, me and my team have decided not to head out to Australia this year.”
Crucially, Draper explained the move by noting: “However, I’ve had this injury for a long time, I’m at the very, very end stages of the process and to step back on court into best-of-five-set tennis so soon just doesn’t seem like a smart decision right now for me and my tennis.”
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It seems like he is unwilling to take any more unnecessary risks after the misfortune he has suffered of late, with the best-of-five format proving to be the real issue, rather than tennis in general.
Clearly, he is heeding his own advice, as he stated after his US Open withdrawal: “I felt like my arm was shutting down a little bit when I was hitting forehands and on the serve.
“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.”
There’s no need for him to keep playing in this instance either and potentially risk that ‘very, very serious’ outcome.
Tim Henman had advice for Draper earlier this month. It’s a shame that the player will not be able to now heed this support as he suffers another setback.
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Whilst his withdrawal from the Australian Open is disappointing, it is definitely the smart choice.
After all, he will hopefully have plenty more chances to compete at Grand Slam tournaments across what many are predicting to be a hugely successful career. There’s no need to rush himself back for this event, which is of little significance.
Interestingly, within his statement, he mentions how he’s not ready for best-of-five set matches.
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This is a particularly positive admission, which suggests that he could return after Melbourne and begin proper preparation for Roland Garros with a more selective schedule.
Draper has not revealed what his next steps will be, but it’s certain that taking precautionary measures after he has suffered so many injuries already is always the smart move.
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