Why Is Jack Draper Not Playing Who Will Taylor Fritz Play Next Wimbledon Injury Row Explained

. The injury had kept him sidelined from much of the 2026 season, including the Australian Open and Roland-Garros.

Draper was scheduled to meet US sixth seed Taylor Fritz on Centre Court on Tuesday, June 30, fresh off a run to the Eastbourne semi-finals.

"Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury," Draper wrote on social media. "There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at Wimbledon.”

"I will continue to persevere through this. Thank you for the support!!" he added.

Fritz will play Serbian Dušan Lajović in the first round of Wimbledon. While Fritz was originally scheduled to face Draper in a blockbuster opening match, Draper’s injury and withdrawal changed the plans. Fritz is set to kick off his tournament campaign on Tuesday, June 30, with a start time slated for roughly 8:00 am ET.

Draper was out with the original arm injury from August last year until February. He was again forced out for a couple of months with a knee problem following a brief return. The Wimbledon withdrawal was a huge blow for a player who was ranked No. 4 this time last year but had to tumble out of the world’s top 100 because of persistent injuries.

Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More