Jack Draper suffered a first-round defeat at the Cincinnati Open, losing to Martin Landaluce 6-3 7-5. The British player struggled to convert opportunities, particularly in the second set where he held a commanding 5-2 lead with a double-break advantage but failed to capitalize on six set-point chances across three games.
Landaluce mounted a comeback by breaking Draper’s serve twice to level the set at 5-5. Although Draper saved a match point and generated his own opportunity to force a tiebreaker, he was ultimately unable to complete the comeback as his opponent closed out the match in just under two hours.
This defeat comes just over a week after Draper’s first-round exit in Montreal following his return from injury. During that earlier loss to Terence Atmane, observers noted a significant decline in Draper’s shot power in the third set, and he was visibly emotional during changeovers. Those circumstances raised concerns that he may have reaggravated a left-arm injury that has affected him since June 2025, when he achieved a career-high ranking of fourth.
Draper appeared discouraged during the closing stages of his Cincinnati match but showed no outward signs of major physical issues. His team’s swift return to practice courts in Cincinnati suggested his injury situation was not critical, though Draper’s form remains a concern as the US Open approaches on August 30.
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