Jack Draper will miss the upcoming ATP Masters events in Madrid and Rome after an aggravated tendon in his right knee forced him to retire late in the third set of his Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell match with Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The left-hander has been limited to four tournaments this season after recovering from a lengthy left-arm injury, and this latest setback compounds an already interrupted campaign.

“It’s frustrating for sure, but I am thankful it isn’t anything more serious,” he said in a statement reported by British press. “Recovery is going well and I feel good about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros. I am looking forward to building momentum from there.”

Draper’s 2025 clay-court form is central to the stakes here. He was a surprise finalist at the Mutua Madrid Open and reached the quarterfinals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. He later advanced to the fourth round of the French Open for the first time, only to have momentum interrupted by a bone bruise in his left arm that stalled his climb toward the ATP’s Top 4.

Those two ATP Masters 1000 events that precede the season’s second major still account for nearly 53 percent of Draper’s current point total. With the Madrid and Rome results set to drop off the rankings, the world No. 28 is projected to fall outside the Top 70 ahead of his bid to get fit for Paris.

The immediate priority for Draper is recovery and timing his return for Roland Garros. He has signaled confidence in his rehabilitation, but the loss of points from the Masters series will produce a rapid ranking decline unless he can replicate past performances on the clay leading into the Grand Slam.

The 2026 Mutua Madrid Open draw sets the stage for Jannik Sinner as he pursues a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title and his first at the Caja Magica. Sinner, the world No. 1, received a first-round bye and will open against a qualifier. He reclaimed the top ranking from Carlos Alcaraz by winning the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, and with both Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic absent from the draw due to injuries, a new challenger must emerge to halt his 17-match winning streak.

Two Americans stand out as potential obstacles. Tommy Paul, the 15th seed, could meet Sinner in the fourth round. Paul began the clay season by winning the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Ben Shelton, the No. 4 seed, is on course to meet Sinner in the semifinals and arrives fresh off a BMW Open title in Munich. Shelton’s Munich win was the biggest clay-court title for a U.S. man since Andre Agassi’s run to the Rome title in 2002, months before Shelton was born.

Paul will open against either Roberto Bautista Agut, who is competing in his final season, or Thiago Tirante. Shelton faces either Raphael Collignon or Matteo Berrettini in his opening match.

The top half of the draw also features Barcelona champion Arthur Fils, who anchors a quarter that includes 2025 finalist Jack Draper and No. 6 seed Lorenzo Musetti. With Alcaraz absent, Alexander Zverev is the No. 2 seed and will play his first match against Nuno Borges or Mariano Navone. Zverev has produced consistent results during the 2026 season but has tended to falter in the late rounds, most recently at his home tournament in Munich.

Also sharing Zverev’s quarter are No. 17 seed Learner Tien and No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev is seeking to recover after a rare 6-0, 6-0 loss in Monte Carlo. With several clay-form winners and higher seeds missing, the draw leaves room for new narratives as Sinner attempts to extend his streak in Madrid.

Two of the sport’s biggest names will not compete at the Mutua Madrid Open after separate withdrawals citing injury. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic announced they will miss the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.

For Alcaraz it is the second consecutive year he will be absent from his home Masters 1000 tournament. The 22-year-old missed the 2025 edition because of a right leg injury and this week confirmed he will also sit out the Spanish event after withdrawing from the Barcelona Open on Wednesday, citing a right wrist injury.

Alcaraz made a strong start to the clay season by reaching the Monte Carlo final last week, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. That defeat cost him the ATP world No. 1 ranking. He then traveled to Barcelona and told press, “This week is one where I should take a break, but Barcelona is a very special place for me.” He withdrew from the event after winning his opening match. He is next scheduled to compete in Rome and at Roland Garros, where he is the defending champion at the French Open.

On social media Alcaraz wrote: “Some news is incredibly hard to share. Madrid is home, one of the most special places on the calendar to me, and that’s why it hurts so much not being able to play here for the second year in a row,” and added, “It especially hurts not to be in front of my people, in a tournament that means so much. Thanks for your love always and I hope to see you all soon.” He also posted: “Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete @MutuaMadridOpen this year. I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!”

Earlier the same day three-time Madrid champion Novak Djokovic announced he would not play in Madrid, the third time in four years he has missed the event, also absent in 2023 and 2024. “I’m continuing my recovery in order to come back soon,” he wrote. “Hasta pronto! (See you soon!)”

© 2026 Mateo Villalba