British No 1 Jack Draper has made the concerning admission that his hip injury could plague him for the remainder of his tennis career, following his retirement from the Australian Open fourth round against Carlos Alcaraz.
The 23-year-old was forced to withdraw during his match with the Spanish star after battling through two sets.
“Everyone’s got their own areas where they struggle more than others, and that’s my area that I’m going to have to look after and manage for probably the rest of my career,” Draper revealed in the aftermath of his exit.
Prior to his retirement, Draper had remarkably battled through three consecutive five-set matches at the tournament.
Jack Draper retired injured from his match against Carlos Alcaraz
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“I didn’t pull up amazingly well,” Draper said. “I was really, really sore after I played my last match.”
The British player acknowledged he had entered the Australian Open already carrying pain from pre-season.
“Today, from the first couple of games I felt everything getting worse. Not ideal to end this way,” he explained.
His determination through the earlier rounds proved even more impressive given his physical condition, though he admitted he “wasn’t expecting to come this far.”
The extent of Draper’s hip troubles first came to light in December when he withdrew from a planned training camp with Alcaraz in Alicante, followed by pulling out of the United Cup.
The British player has now detailed the specific nature of his injury.
Jack Draper had discomfort throughout the match
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“Essentially I had tendinitis in my hip, which I had to get looked at with an MRI,” he explained. “I have had a history of problems in that area. It hasn’t gone away.
“In the preseason, it came back and I couldn’t walk. It was really difficult. I have come here and I have been managing that.”
Draper’s candid admission about his reliance on painkillers revealed the severity of his condition.
When asked about his painkiller usage, he responded simply: “All the time. A lot. Yeah, a lot.”
The British No 1 expressed hope for a better future despite the challenging prognosis.
“I’ll just manage it the best I can, and hopefully get on a run where I’m not playing with pain and taking painkillers,” he said.
He also voiced concerns about the potential consequences of not managing the condition properly: “This area of my body, if I don’t get that right and I don’t make good decisions… I don’t want to miss three or four months.”
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Jack Draper was competing in the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time
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Despite the physical challenges, Draper remained proud of his achievement in reaching the last 16 of a Grand Slam.
“Considering everything I’m incredibly proud of my efforts,” he reflected.
The British player offered a stark assessment of his performance level during the tournament.
“My tennis has been pretty bang-average. It’s been really poor, actually, but it’s been my competitiveness, my fight, and my desire to win,” he said.