DRAPER EXITS CANADIAN OPEN IN FIRST MATCH AFTER INJURY ABSENCE

Jack Draper lost his first-round match at the Canadian Open in Montreal to France's Terence Atmane, dropping the contest 6-3 2-6 6-2. The 24-year-old Briton, competing for the first time since June, became emotional during the third set and was seen wiping tears from his eyes whilst seated during a changeover. Draper received a main-draw wildcard entry to the tournament following an extended period sidelined by a persistent arm injury.

Draper's shoulder injury, sustained at the US Open in August, caused him to withdraw from scheduled appearances at Wimbledon and the Washington Open this summer. His world ranking dropped from fourth to as low as 160th over a 12-month period during his absence from competition. The match showed initial promise, with Draper winning the second set 6-2 after appearing to recover form from his early struggles. However, his performance deteriorated significantly in the third set, during which he was broken whilst leading 40-15 in one game and again when trailing 4-1.

Draper's return to action follows a period in which he had managed to achieve a fourth ranking at the start of 2025, prior to the shoulder injury. The tissue damage and bone bruising associated with the injury have prevented him from mounting a sustained comeback until this competition. Medical intervention through surgery has been ruled out as a treatment option according to previous reporting.