Jack Draper Retires from Barcelona Open with Knee Injury

British tennis player Jack Draper retired from his first-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open on Monday due to a right knee injury, marking another setback in his challenging 2026 season.

The 24-year-old, seeded eighth and ranked 28th in the world, started strongly on the outdoor clay courts of Real Club de Barcelona, securing the opening set 6-4 after five service breaks. Etcheverry, the 29th-ranked Argentine, responded by taking the second set 6-3 with a single break. Draper, who appeared to favor his knee from early in the second set, received treatment from a physiotherapist during the changeover, including taping below the joint. Despite continuing into the decider, he was broken twice and withdrew while trailing 4-1 after one hour and 46 minutes of play.

Draper, Britain's second-ranked player, entered the ATP 500 event as his first clay-court tournament of the year and only his fourth overall appearance in 2026. He had skipped the preceding Monte Carlo Masters to prioritize recovery. His season began in February following a six-month absence caused by a bruised bone in his left serving arm, which first emerged after Wimbledon last year. In...