US EditionJack Draper on his Dubai debut, playing without pain and 'true greatness' of Novak Djokovic
- On February 23, 2026, Jack Draper returns to action in Dubai as the No 4 seed after a six-month injury lay-off and begins the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this week.
- Because bone stress injuries recover non-linearly, it was a complex injury first felt in Madrid in May that ultimately sidelined him for six months.
- During the lay-off, he faced a mental toll from slowing down from 'sort of 100 miles an hour', but received advice from more experienced players to take his time and focus on recovery.
- I feel great, honestly, to be here in Dubai, Draper said, resuming with coach Jamie Delgado and describing his comeback as a marathon, not a sprint, while still cautious about full weeks.
- Amid Draper's comeback, Novak Djokovic, Serbian 24‑time Grand Slam champion, inspired him as the greatest player of all time while making an Australian Open final run beating Jannik Sinner before losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The Independent
The Independent (US)Jack Draper records first tour win in 182 days — and reveals striking new look
The British No 1 fought through a tough first set to beat French qualifier Quentin Halys 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 at the Dubai Tennis Championships
Sutton’s Jack Draper looks to make it back-to-back victories on his comeback from injury later.
The British number one takes on Arthur Rinderknech in the last-16 of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Draper claimed a straight-sets win over Frenchman Quentin Halys on Monday. It was his first men’s tour match since last August’s US Open.
Six Frenchmen were present in the first round of the ATP 500 in Dubai. And while Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard qualified during Monday's day, the second tricolor in the race, Quentin Halys, was eliminated. Coming from the qualifications, the world number 68 had inherited the n°15 for his entry, Jack Draper. The Britishman contested his first tournament since the US Open. He had in fact prematurely ended his 2025 season due to an injury to his arm i…
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