Double British blow at Wimbledon as Jack Draper joins Emma Raducanu in withdrawing injured

A double withdrawal for the hosts

Two days before the tournament's full swing, British hopes at Wimbledon 2026 have already taken a severe hit. Emma Raducanu, the 23-year-old former US Open champion, announced Sunday night that a stress fracture in her right leg would keep her from a first-round match against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic. On Monday afternoon, Jack Draper followed suit, citing a recurrence of the bone bruise in his left arm that had sidelined him for much of the past year. Draper was due to face American world number six Taylor Fritz in a marquee first-round encounter on Tuesday.

The withdrawals mean Britain's two most prominent singles players will not hit a ball at their home Grand Slam. Raducanu's slot on Court One was filled by compatriot Harriet Dart against Jelena Ostapenko, while Draper's place in the draw was taken by Serbian lucky loser Dusan Lajovic.

Draper's long battle with arm and knee problems

Draper, 24, has not completed a full season since breaking into the top four in mid-2025. The original left arm bone bruise first surfaced in July last year and forced him off the tour for seven months between August and February. After a brief comeback, a knee tendonitis issue sustained in Barcelona in April required another layoff. He returned only last week at Eastbourne, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Ugo Humbert, and had told journalists on Sunday that he felt physically ready to compete at Wimbledon.

“Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury. There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at Wimbledon. I will continue to persevere through this. Thank you for the support!!”

Reshuffled opening day and early British defeats

With Draper absent, Taylor Fritz will now face Lajovic, who had lost in qualifying. Elsewhere on Monday, 17-year-old wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic fell 6-2 6-1 to Belinda Bencic, Max Basing lost in straight sets to Shintaro Mochizuki, and wildcard Felix Gill went out to 19-year-old Spaniard Rafa Jodar. The early exits further thin the home contingent.

Player-welfare warnings

The timing of Draper's injury is particularly bitter because he had spoken only a day earlier about the pressures on top players' bodies. Asked on Sunday about the broader injury picture in the men's game, he said the toll was becoming a serious concern.

“The number of injuries in men's tennis was a concern and tournaments would suffer if something was not done about it.”

Both Draper and Raducanu now face extended rehabilitation. Draper's layoff is expected to last up to seven months, according to a Guardian report, while Raducanu's recovery timeline has yet to be detailed.