Draper withdraws from United Cup and Davis Cup due to hip injury

British tennis star Jack Draper announced on Thursday that he will miss the upcoming United Cup and Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Japan due to a hip injury. Despite the setback, the 22-year-old remains optimistic about his chances of competing in singles at the Australian Open, which starts on January 12, 2025.

Draper, who had planned to team up with Katie Boulter at the United Cup in Sydney, expressed his disappointment:
“As I work to get on top of my hip injury and get match-fit, I have unfortunately been advised not to play in the United Cup. I’m gutted, as I was really looking forward to playing in the tournament for the first time,” Draper said in a statement.

He now intends to travel to Melbourne later this month to prepare for the season’s first Grand Slam. The injury also rules him out of the Davis Cup first-round clash in Japan, which immediately follows the Australian Open.

“Together with (Britain’s captain) Leon (Smith), we have made the difficult decision for me to sit out the upcoming Davis Cup match in Japan in order to complete the rehab and strengthening of my hip post-Australian Open,” Draper added.

The injury interrupts a remarkable year for Draper, who achieved a career-high world ranking of 15 in 2024, won his first two ATP Tour titles, and reached the semi-finals of the US Open.

(Source: AFP)