by Chloe Wellington-Hunt
British star Jack Draper has struggled to get back on the court this entire season. Just a few weeks ago, he withdrew the day before his first-round Wimbledon match, following his continued left-arm injury. Now, he’s making an interesting move for his August match plans.
Draper has registered for the ATP Brownsburg Challenger event in Indiana, August 10-16, 2026. Draper hasn’t competed at a Challenger event since 2023, when he won the trophy at the Bergamo Challenger in Italy. Notably, Brownsburg takes place during the second week of the Canada Masters and the first week of the Cincinnati Open. (Nishesh Basavareddy, the American who had his first Top 10 win at Roland Garros when he beat Taylor Fritz, will also play in the event. Basavareddy is a name to follow for the rest of the season, now ranked 146 in the world.)
Draper has a tough journey back to the top of the sport, now sitting at 147 in ATP singles rankings, after reaching a career-high ranking of No.4 in June 2025. Draper spent all of 2025 in the top 20, but without any protected ranking, the star must grapple with little margin for error as the season unfolds.
While fellow countrymen Arthur Fery, Jan Choinski, Cameron Norrie, Katie Boulter, and Emma Radacanu are in the US Open main draw entry lists, Draper is listed as an alternate, for now. 14 British players are on the ‘alternates’ list for the 2026 US Open. Another player sidelined from the main draw is Grigor Dimitrov. Considering that there’s over 40 players ahead of the pair, Dimitrov and Draper will either have to qualify or receive a wildcard.
But the Brit isn’t too frightened about learning how to start over. Speaking with Jessica Schiffer at Wimbledon this year, he said, “ ‘You always have to look at the positive side of things. I have to rebuild myself and I have to start again almost.’” It’s now just a few days before Draper will be back on the court again.
After getting a wildcard for the Mubadala DC Open, Draper prepares to rebuild. The climb back might not be glamorous, but he’s hopeful that’s where it begins.
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