British tennis player Jack Draper was left in tears after his comeback at the Skysports ended in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 defeat to France’s Terence Atmane. Playing in just his sixth tournament of the year, the 24-year-old suffered a sudden physical drop-off in the deciding set, with his serve and groundstroke power reduced significantly.
Jack Draper Breaks Down in Tears During Canadian Open Defeat
Trailing 4-1 in the final set, Draper sat down during a changeover and spent the entire break crying uncontrollably. Commentating for Skysports, Annabel Croft described the scene as very upsetting, noting that the player was bent over and erupting with emotion. Co-commentator Adam Fielder initially thought Draper looked ill before the cameras captured his emotional distress. Croft added that she could only assume the arm was hurting, reflecting on the immense work Draper had put in just to get back on the court. As the players shook hands at the net following Atmane’s victory in an hour and 52 minutes, the Frenchman told Draper, Hope everything is alright,
according to AOL.
Match Progression and Early Promise
The first-round match at the Tennismajors was pushed to Tuesday evening due to rain in Montreal on Monday. Draper initially appeared nervous and dropped a scrappy opening set 6-3 to Atmane. However, the Briton began showing glimpses of the form that carried him to a career-high No. 4 ranking in June 2025.
Dictating play with his heavy left-handed game, Draper stormed through the second set 6-2, registering a forehand quality of 9.7 in the process as reported by AOL. The Montreal crowd cheered as he executed a powerful cross-court forehand, looking primed for a full comeback victory.
The momentum evaporated in the third set. According to BBC coverage, a depleted Draper surrendered the opening game of the decider after leading 40-15 and displayed visible frustration in the fourth game by firing a tired forehand into the net. His pace on serves plummeted as he began rolling balls in rather than going for big serves. Despite the physical decline, Draper spiritedly held serve one more time before Atmane closed out the match. Atmane advanced to face top seed Karen Khachanov in the second round.
Injury Disruption and Rankings Toll
Draper’s struggles stem from a persistent bone bruising injury in his left serving arm. The issue first flared up around the US Open, where he withdrew as the No. 5 seed, subsequently missing seven weeks of competition and shutting down the remainder of his 2025 season. The injury forced him to miss the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon in 2026.
Before returning in Montreal, Draper’s last competitive action was a straight-sets defeat to Ugo Humbert at the Eastbourne Open in June, which was quickly followed by another recovery setback. He also made a late withdrawal from the Washington DC Open to extend his recovery time. Consequently, his ranking has tumbled from No. 4 down to approximately No. 143 in the world.
Coaching Partnership and Future Doubts
Sir Andy Murray joined Draper’s coaching team ahead of the grass-court season in May, though the pair has barely been able to compete together due to the physical setbacks. Montreal marked just the second tournament Draper has played in during their partnership.
While Draper has been awarded wildcards into the upcoming Skysports and faces likely qualifying rounds at the US Open in September, his tearful exit in Canada leaves his immediate participation in serious doubt.
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