Draper, Djokovic, Fritz Withdraw from Monte Carlo Masters

Several top players, including British star Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic, and Taylor Fritz, have withdrawn from the Monte Carlo Masters, casting a shadow over the start of the 2026 clay-court season. The ATP Masters 1000 event begins on April 5 in Monaco, with organizers confirming the absences amid ongoing injury concerns.

Draper, ranked 25th in the world, cited caution with his left arm injury as the reason for pulling out. The 24-year-old has been managing bone bruising in his arm since last summer, which sidelined him for nearly eight months through much of 2025. He returned to competition in February during Great Britain's Davis Cup win over Norway and has since played in Dubai, where he reached the round of 16, Indian Wells, advancing to the quarterfinals with a victory over Djokovic, and Miami, where he lost his opening match to Reilly Opelka. "I guess I’m still at the very early stages of coming back from what was a very difficult injury to deal with," Draper said after the Miami loss. "And if someone said that I’m going to be playing Dubai, Indian Wells, here, and go home feeling good, then I would have taken that, because it’s a long season to go." He plans to train in...