Jack Draper’s return to competition ended in distress in Montreal, where the scale of his latest setback became impossible to ignore.

After a difficult year marked by an ongoing bone bruising issue in his arm, the former British No 1 had spoken confidently about making his comeback at the Canadian Open. For a set and a half, there were signs that he might be finding his rhythm. He recovered to take the second set against France’s Terence Atmane in his opening match, a performance that briefly suggested progress for the 2025 Indian Wells Masters champion.

But the third set quickly told a different story. Draper’s service speeds fell away and his body language made clear that something was wrong. At the change of ends with Atmane leading 4-1, the emotion that had been building throughout the match finally spilled over, and Draper broke down in tears.

The collapse reflected the frustration of a player who has tried repeatedly to manage an injury that has resisted every solution. He has undergone several medical tests, tried a range of remedies and even experimented with new strings and possibly a new racket in recent weeks. None of it has yet brought relief.

By the time the match ended in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 defeat, the scoreline felt secondary to the bigger concern surrounding Draper’s future. The sight of him crying uncontrollably in his chair was a stark reminder of how much he has already invested simply to get back on court.

“This is pretty emotional. He’s bent over and literally erupting with emotion here. It’s very, very upsetting to see,” said former British No 1 Annabel Croft. “I can only assume that the arm is hurting.

“He couldn’t hold it in and he let it all out. You just wonder what is going through his mind for all that emotion to be there.

“I think we both felt that it was to do with this horrible injury that might have reared its ugly head again, and the knowledge of what it’s taken for him to get out on court again.

“He actually played a very decent second set and it was looking fairly positive, but then there was this massive drop-off of pace on that serve.

“And it was very obvious very quickly that he was not going after big serves, he was rolling them in. He hasn’t really hit a serve since, and hasn’t really gone after any too many ground strokes either.”

Draper has a wild card for next week’s Cincinnati Masters and was also expected to receive one for the US Open, but there are now major doubts over whether he will play again in 2027 if this problem can only be addressed by a long spell away from the tour.

Carlos Alcaraz’s push to return to competition has been interrupted again, with his place at next week’s Cincinnati Open now off the table and his US Open status left uncertain.

The Spaniard has not appeared in a match since suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. That setback forced him out of both the French Open and Wimbledon, although he had still hoped to restart in Cincinnati, where he is the defending champion.

Recent images of Alcaraz striking balls with increasing intensity had encouraged talk that a comeback could be close. Those hopes faded on Tuesday night when Cincinnati officials confirmed his withdrawal in a brief statement.

“Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open,” read the official statement. “Wishing all the best to our 2025 champion in his recovery process. Can’t wait to welcome you next year!”

Tournament director Bob Moran also addressed the development. “We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible.”

“We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.”

The next question is whether Alcaraz will be ready for the US Open, where he has 2,000 ranking points to defend after defeating Jannik Sinner in last year’s final at Flushing Meadows. His name has not yet appeared on the growing list for the mixed doubles event held the week before the main draw, which adds to the uncertainty around his schedule.

Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski believes Alcaraz will need to prove himself in Cincinnati to have any realistic chance of lining up in New York.

“To have any chance to play at the US Open, he’s gotta play Cincinnati,” he declared on the edition of his Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast.

“If he doesn’t play Cincinnati, we know the US Open isn’t gonna happen and he’s been away from the game for very, very long time.

“He’s got to be smart with it because the fact he’s got to get his volume up to a certain level and you don’t want to rush it back too much.

“The 12-day event in Cincinnati might actually help him because the fact that he can have a few more breaks in between matches, but this is still a huge question mark.

“It’s not like you’re playing a two-out-of-three major. So for the women’s, it’s a little bit easier because when you go into the majors, it’s like a regular week with a guaranteed day off every week is two out of three sets. To make the jump up to three out of five sets is tough for the men.”

Emma Raducanu has confirmed that she will miss the US Open after suffering a stress fracture before Wimbledon, extending a difficult 2026 campaign shaped by recurring fitness problems.

The British player has spent much of the season dealing with setbacks. She was sidelined for the entire clay court swing and grass court swing, and earlier in the year she was also forced out by illness. Those interruptions have limited her time on court, even as she has continued to show flashes of resilience when healthy enough to compete.

Raducanu has still managed to reach two WTA finals in 2026, at the Translyvania Open and Queen’s. Given the amount of time she has lost, those runs stand out as notable achievements, though they have come against the backdrop of a campaign repeatedly disrupted by injury.

Her next decision may be as important as the one to skip New York. The suggestion has been that she should consider shutting down her season altogether and bypassing the Asian swing. With a stress fracture in the mix, travelling straight into more events would bring little physical benefit, regardless of the financial appeal linked to fees and sponsorships.

There is also a longer-term calculation. Six months away from the WTA Tour would allow her to begin the 2027 season under a protected ranking. That could matter if she falls out of the top 100 by missing the rest of the year, while a return fully fit could help her climb again.

Annabel Croft addressed the issue on Sky Sports, saying: “It wouldn’t be a surprise if she made that decision [close down her season],” and adding: “Your health is your wealth, as they say, and that is the most important factor and she just needs to get herself fit.”

The main factor that could complicate an early end to the season is Raducanu’s new deal with UNIQLO, which could make an Asian appearance more likely.