“What’s Going Wrong?” — Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper Miss the US Open as Britain’s Tennis Hopes Take a Devastating Hit, With Their Injury Problems Raising Fresh Questions
British tennis stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have withdrawn from the final tennis grand slam of the year — the US Open.
Raducanu famously rose to fame after winning the event in 2021 at just 18 years-old. She worked her way through the qualifying rounds and then went on to win 10 straight matches without dropping a single set.
Draper reached the semifinals at Flushing Meadows in 2024, but his bid to go deeper into the tournament this year has now been stalled again.
Both stars have the potential to be a success, but their injuries have proved to be major setbacks in reaching the top.
What is the latest for Emma Raducanu?
Raducanu has been forced to withdraw from the New York event in another major blow to her season.
She had a career high ranking in July 2022 when she was world No.10, but since the start of the summer has dropped down to world No. 68.
It is unclear when she will return.
Raducanu has also opted for her former coach Andrew Richardson who started in May — the same coach who led her to victory at the US Open all those years ago.
What have her injuries been?
Over the last year she has suffered a series of injuries that has disrupted her return to the top. The British No. 1 had bone bruising on her right foot which ended her 2025 season in October.
In February, she became unwell with a viral illness which resulted in a two-month absence and pulled out of four consecutive events.
Between then and June — when she reached the finals at Queen’s — she had only played six matches.
Hopes were high as she headed to Wimbledon to continue the grass-court season in promising form, but pulled out at the last minute of her home grand slam due to a stress fracture to her right lower leg.
What is the latest for Jack Draper?
The 24 year-old has not played a single grand slam this year and has been haunted with ongoing bone bruising in his left serving arm.
He has dropped to 141st in the world and if he was to compete in the US Open, he would have had to go through qualifying or be handed a wildcard to compete.
What have his injuries been?
He first became aware of his injury in May last year after an impressive run before that — reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open and French Open.
He reached world No. 4 a month later, but has since played just 16 matches in 12 months.
The former British No. 1 withdrew from his second-round match at the US Open last year and has struggled to consistently play in tournaments.
He returned to competition in February this year, before recovering from a knee injury in April which hindered his progress further. In June, things were looking promising as he returned to Eastbourne, before pulling out on the evening of Wimbledon.
He competed in the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open in August, but was knocked out in the early stages, before his latest withdrawal of the US Open.
Are injuries holding them back from full potential
Absolutely, the run of injuries over a sustained period of time is concerning for both players.
Raducanu has shown the world that she has potential to add a second grand slam title to her tally.
Draper was inside the top five in June last year and was dubbed as being the next big star to compete against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
All eyes have been on both players when they have competed this year, but ultimately, it has been a period of heartbreak for the British players.
