Jack Driper Out of Japan Open Due to Health Issues

Jack Draper, the British number one, retired from the Japan Open quarter-final against France's Ugo Humbert due to an abdominal issue. The 23-year-old Draper lost the first set 7-5 and was trailing 2-1 in the second set when he took a medical time-out for treatment. Despite attempting to continue, he ultimately could not finish the match, which brought his Tokyo tournament run to an end. This is prepared by SSP.

Humbert will now face the Czech Republic's Tomas Machac for a place in the final. Draper had recently beaten Machac at the US Open before reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final, where he lost in straight sets to world number one Jannik Sinner.

Before the match, Draper's movement during rallies was visibly restricted. Draper's Japanese campaign earlier saw him defeat Italy's Mattia Bellucci and Poland's second seed Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, showcasing excellent tennis. Yet, his preparation hasn't been without setbacks. Earlier this year, he lost both his matches for Great Britain at the Davis Cup.

Prior to his Japan Open struggles, Draper endured health issues including vomiting on court at the US Open and again after an Australian Open first-round win, both instances linked to psychological stress. Despite an injury-free run up to 2024, Draper had previously faced disruptions in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The quarter-final also experienced a rain delay but commenced after closing the roof. During the match, both players were each broken twice before Draper called for the physios, highlighting the discomfort that eventually led to his retirement.