Jack Draper, the former British No 1 who reached the semi-finals of the 2024 US Open, will not compete directly in the main draw this year and instead must go through qualifying rounds. The 24-year-old’s absence from the main draw stems from a significant drop in his world ranking to 147th, which resulted from recurring issues with bone bruising in his left arm.
Draper’s injury struggles have persisted for approximately a year, forcing him to step away from competitive tennis multiple times. Most recently, the same arm condition caused him to miss Wimbledon. He is scheduled to return to competitive action at the DC Open in Washington beginning July 27.
Meanwhile, fellow British players have secured positions in the US Open main draw. Arthur Fery, now the British men’s No 1 after his impressive run to the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wild card, earned a berth in the main draw for the first time in his career, with his ranking rising to 36th in the world. Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, also qualified for the main draw despite being ranked 37th. Additional British competitors in the main draw include Cam Norrie, Jan Choinski, and Katie Boulter.
The tournament takes place on August 30. Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, will headline the women’s field and will attempt to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams accomplished the feat from 2012-14. On the men’s side, Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner leads the field. Alcaraz, who won the US Open in 2024 but has been sidelined by a wrist injury, is seeded third and entered in the draw.
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