Trouble Looms for Emma Raducanu’s Friend as Australian Open Dreams Hang in the Balance
Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu‘s close-knit friendship isn’t new to the community. The compatriots have often spoken well in favor of each other whenever they needed it the most. While Raducanu’s year was by far modest, Brit Draper enjoyed a splendid breakout season in 2024, and just when fans hoped to see more of the young talent, unfortunate news surrounding his much-awaited appearance has come to light. He has been ruled out of the season-opening United Cup due to a hip injury. Subsequently, he also addressed the concern ahead of the Australian hardcourt swing.
The 22-year-old was due to represent Team Great Britain at the United Cup, which was slated to commence on December 27. However, as luck would have it, Draper was forced to withdraw from the highly anticipated event due to a hip injury. The team competition housing Britain is scheduled to lock horns against Argentina in Sydney on 30 December. This means that he’ll have less than a month to prepare for the Melbourne Slam, which begins on January 12. The British sensation aired the update for fans via his social media handle and hoped to stay optimistic about his recovery chances for the season’s inaugural major. For those unaware, the Brit also canceled his training session with 4-time Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in Spain due to this concern.
In a post on Instagram, Draper said: “As I work to get on top of my hip injury and get match fit, I have unfortunately been advised not to play in the United Cup. While we are very positive about competing in the Australian Open this year, I know I won’t be able to jump straight into a packed schedule as I manage and strengthen my hip. I’m gutted, as I was really looking forward to playing in the United Cup for the first time.” For now, the Briton will stay in the UK for Christmas and will not play any warm-up events leading to the AO.
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Raducanu and Draper’s off-court friendship first came to light when the duo turned pro in 2018 and commenced their journey on the tour. They first crossed paths with each other during a junior tennis trip and later, were fortunate to carry strength in their bond as they trained together at the National Tennis Center in Roehampton.
Draper rose to a career-high World No. 15 after winning ATP singles titles in Vienna and Stuttgart and, later, producing a laudable campaign at the US Open, where he finished semifinalist before bowing out eventual champion Jannik Sinner. However, skipping out the United Cup isn’t the only disheartening update. The Brit will have to sit out the upcoming Davis Cup match in Japan. In the same post on Instagram, British player Jack Draper also addressed whether he would be able to represent his nation at the Davis Cup. Sadly, he won’t. To fully recover from his hip injury and have ample time for rehabilitation, the 22-year-old will have to stay sidelined for the annual group event’s showcase in Japan.
He said, “Together with [captain] Leon [Smith], we have also made the difficult decision for me to sit out the upcoming Davis Cup match in Japan in order to give me the opportunity post-Australian Open to complete the rehab and strengthening of my hip.” With Draper on the sidelines, 23-year-old Jacob Fearnley may make his Davis Cup debut in 2025. With the Australian swing nearing, Draper will have to look at his best if he wishes to make a deep run in Melbourne and replicate his impressive results from this season.
