Jack Draper withdraws from Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to 'manage my body' after reaching final of Qatar Open
Published 23/02/2025 at 19:02 GMT
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Jack Draper's physical exertions in reaching the final of the Qatar Open took a toll on the British player as he has elected to withdraw from next week's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Draper confirmed he would be back in action at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March. The Mexico Open also suffered a withdrawal, with Taylor Fritz succumbing to an injury.
Jack Draper of Great Britain speaks to the media against Andrey Rublev of Russia during the Qatar ExxonMobil Open at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex
Image credit: Getty Images
Jack Draper has opted to withdraw from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to protect his body ahead of bigger targets in 2025.
The English player made it to the final of the Qatar Open, where he was beaten in three gruelling sets by Andrey Rublev.
Draper said in the aftermath of his defeat in Doha that Rublev had "outlasted me".
Rublev also spoke of the physical exertions he had to put in to claim the win, and it appears Draper was still feeling the effects of a tough week as he took to social media to confirm he would not be in the field for the ATP 500 event in Dubai.
"Unfortunately, I have made the decision to withdraw from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships," Draper said.
"After a great week at the Qatar Open, I’m taking onboard advice to prioritise my recovery and manage my body after a number of long matches, and give myself the best chance of competing consistently throughout the year."
Marton Fucsovics was scheduled to face Draper in the first round in Dubai, and will instead take on a lucky loser from qualifying.
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Draper confirmed his next scheduled outings would be in the United States at Indian Wells and Miami.
"I’m gutted not to compete at such an amazing event but will look forward to returning to competition at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open," Draper said.
The BNP Paribas Open runs from March 2-16, while the Miami Open follows in the final two weeks of March.
Fritz withdraws from Acapulco
While Draper was a big-name absentee from the Dubai event, the Mexico Open lost world No. 4 Taylor Fritz who pulled out due to injury.
"Really sad that I have to pull out of Acapulco this year," Fritz said. "I’ve been dealing with an abdominal injury since the week before Dallas.
"I have been playing through the injury, hoping that it could get better because several parts of my game were and still are pain free.
"I’m at a point now where it has not improved and it’s frustrating to be playing when I know I can’t play 100% and am avoiding certain shots or just hitting shots differently then I normally would to avoid the pain."
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