Jack Draper was supposed to play at the 2024 Croatia Open in Umag, but he won’t as he withdrew following his disappointing Wimbledon.
The British player started his grass season with a stunning run at the Stuttgart Open, where he made the final at the ATP 250 tournament and then downed former champion Matteo Berrettini to win his maiden ATP trophy.
It was an amazing run and a big moment for Draper, who felt vindicated after struggling with many injuries in previous years. His good run continued at the Cinch Championships as he downed the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
That run ended in a quarter-final, as he ran into an inspired Tommy Paul, who ended up winning the tournament. Regardless, Draper looked extremely strong on grass, and many expected him to have a breakout performance at Wimbledon.
Talks of the second week were common, but things didn’t quite go that way. He won his first-round match but needed five sets to down Elias Ymer. It wasn’t that great of a performance, and clearly, things weren’t working as well as they were in Stuttgart.
The end came in the next round, as he faced compatriot Cameron Norrie, who outperformed him in only three sets of play. To say that run was underwhelming would be an understatement because he crashed out in the second round while being considered one of the dark horses.
Many of his fans hoped he’d make the second week and possibly the quarter- or semi-final. He has the game for it but didn’t bring it. His next stop after that was supposed to be Umag, but the Brit won’t play at the event.
A reason for his withdrawal wasn’t stated, but maybe he just wanted to reset properly after that huge letdown and prepare well for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
