Jack Draper Breaks Down in Tears Mid-Match Before Defeat at Canadian Open

In the first round of the Canadian Open held on Tuesday (August 4), Jack Draper played his first match since his defeat in the semifinal of the Eastbourne International. Up against him was Terence Atmane, who took the first set only to see his opponent force a comeback in the second set.

But Draper’s level dropped drastically in the third set. And at 4-1 during the changeover, Draper couldn’t control his tears and cried uncontrollably.

Here’s the video:

Keep your head up, Jack 🥺❤️#NBO26 pic.twitter.com/b2K0y3en3S

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 4, 2026

Atmane eventually clinched a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win to take a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head matchups. The Frenchman will next be facing 21st seed Karen Khachanov.

Draper has been dealing with the persistent arm injury that has troubled him since the clay swing last year and forced him to withdraw from his second-round match at the US Open. He did not play another match last year and returned to action in Dubai this year after skipping the Australian Open.

Draper played decently at the Indian Wells Masters as the defending champion, defeating Novak Djokovic in the fourth round before falling in the quarterfinals with a straight-set defeat to eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev. After his opening-round exit in Miami, the 24-year-old retired mid-match in his first match of the Barcelona Open and eventually skipped the remainder of the clay swing, including the French Open.

And although he made a deep run in Eastbourne, he ended up withdrawing from Wimbledon at the last moment to the utter disappointment of the home fans. Draper then skipped the Citi Open and returned to action in Montreal.

Draper has received a wild card for the Cincinnati Masters, but his tearful exit in Montreal has raised doubts about his participation in the event as well as the US Open, where he produced his best Grand Slam performance in 2024 by reaching the semifinals (lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner).

A big name withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters, and he is none other than defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (received the walkover from Sinner in last year’s final). The Spaniard has been dealing with a wrist injury since the Barcelona Open, and his withdrawal has now raised doubts about his US Open participation.

Jessica Pegula on pairing up for the US Open mixed doubles with Jack Draper

In the revamped US Open mixed doubles, Jessica Pegula has joined forces with Jack Draper. The American ace is set to play her first match of the Canadian Open on August 5 against Magdalena Frech. At the pre-tournament press conference in Toronto, Pegula wished Draper a speedy recovery before the US Open, but she also understands that for him, his health is his first priority.

I know he’s been really struggling a bit with some injuries, and I saw he had a really tough day with his match. We’re supposed to play [the US Open]. Obviously I know he’s not healthy, so we’ll see how that goes. He’s a really nice kid, so I enjoy playing with him. Hoping that he can just get healthy and we can see him back out there.

Draper last won a title in Indian Wells last year, and last played a final at the 2025 Madrid Open. Pegula, on the other hand, has already played four finals this season, winning titles in Dubai and Charleston and losing the finals of the Berlin Open and the Citi Open.

In Washington, she lost in three sets to Alexandra Eala, which made the latter the first Filipina to win a WTA singles title. Pegula is a two-time champion at the Canadian Open, winning it in 2023 and 2024. But last year, her run ended in the third round.

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