Jack Draper has spoken candidly about the tears he shed at the Canadian Open and the difficult stretch that has left him feeling as though he has reached “rock bottom”.

The 24-year-old has managed only six tournaments this year, a run severely disrupted by injuries that have pushed him out of the world’s top 100. Draper, once ranked as high as No 4, has been dealing with bone bruising in his left arm for a year, while knee tendonitis arrived in April and added to an already punishing spell.

His recent season has been marked by stop-start planning and repeated setbacks. After last-minute withdrawals from Wimbledon and Washington, Draper ended up in tears late in his three-set defeat to Terence Atmane in Montreal. He has not hidden how demanding the situation has been, but his latest comments suggest a player trying to process the reality of what has happened and move forward from it.

Ahead of his first-round Cincinnati match with Martin Landaluce, Draper told The Guardian, “I don’t get emotional often. There was once I got emotional in practice in May when I had really bad knee tendonitis and my arm was really sore as well. I was in so much pain.

“I was running and my knee [hurt] and my hitting the balls and my arm was sore. Last week came from a place of, I think I had so much to focus on and manage, so much change going on in my tennis. I got to [No]4 in the world through doing the same things, the consistent work, the differences, and then went through this whole process of a lot of setbacks and a lot of struggle.

“That’s taken a lot out of me. But then at the same time, I’m in a position where I’m having to start again. That reality is difficult sometimes. The reason I got emotional was that through all the challenges, you can forget who you are on the court.

“And last week I felt like I couldn’t give any more. I was emotional because I didn’t recognise the player I was out on the court due to my injuries and due to probably the way I’ve been feeling for a long time.

“When you reach rock bottom like that you can come back up again. Since then I’ve practised really well, I’ve had amazing support from the people around me and you get to a point more and more of acceptance. We’ve definitely reached that acceptance phase now.”

Draper will now hope to avoid any further physical setbacks in Cincinnati before the US Open begins later this month.

Three younger players have been put forward as possible candidates to become the sport’s “third guy” behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, in what amounts to a slight on Alexander Zverev.

The discussion comes at a time when the ATP Tour has again been left without some of its biggest names. Alcaraz remains out with a wrist injury, while Sinner withdrew from Cincinnati because of a knee problem. At the Canadian Open, the picture was similar, with Sinner, Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all absent, and Zverev crashing out early.

Montreal’s quarter-final stage showed just how open the moment is for the next generation. Brandon Nakashima, 25, beat Luciano Darderi, 24, while Ben Shelton, 23, moved through against Jakub Mensik, 20. Arthur Fils, 22, was defeated by 19-year-old Rafael Jodar, and Learner Tien knocked out Daniel Merida, 21.

Those results have helped fuel the idea that an outsider could use one of these Masters 1000 events to build belief against the game’s established leaders. Zverev, 29, did win this year’s French Open when the Italian went out early and the Spaniard was sidelined, but the broader picture still points toward Alcaraz and Sinner as the dominant forces.

Serena Williams’ coach Rennae Stubbs believes the opportunity is there for others to break through. On the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, she pointed to Jodar and Shelton, who are sixth and seventh respectively in the ATP Tour Race, while also naming Fils and Tien as players capable of taking a step forward even though their results this year have left them outside the top 10.

She said on the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, “This is an opportunity for somebody to start winning these tournaments and say, ‘Ok, am I the third guy?’ Winning in Canada and then going to Cincinnati and winning those tournaments because neither of them [Alcaraz and Sinner] are going to be there again.

“There are no more excuses, guys. The two best players in the world are not playing so who is going to step up to the plate?”

Stubbs also said Jodar is beginning to “knocking on the door to win these big tournaments” and suggested another major title for him, Shelton or Fils could strengthen the belief that they can compete with Sinner and Alcaraz “when they are healthy”.

The four-time women’s doubles major winner added, “This is exciting. What we need in men’s tennis is for one of these young guys to step up to the plate now. By winning a Masters 1000 title at this stage.

“Imagine if a Learner Tien or a Rafael Jodar steps up and wins this Masters 1000; it has to give them so much confidence to go into a US Open and say, ‘Why not?’ There is a possibility Alcaraz and Sinner are going to be there.

“But it really helps when you are winning a lot of matches and you are beating all these great players and the only ones you are not beating are those two who are not there but it will certainly help you going into matches like this against those great players and think, ‘Maybe it’s my time as well’.”

Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime have entered the US Open Mixed Doubles, but their place in the field is not assured.

A strong list of teams has already put pressure on the cutoff. Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter, and Casper Ruud and Iga Swiatek are among the pairs on the entry list, leaving several prominent names outside the guaranteed positions, including Eala and Auger-Aliassime.

Only a handful of teams have already locked up their places through rankings. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, and Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien are all confirmed.

The top 12 teams in the rankings will gain direct entry, and the cutoff arrives on Monday, August 17th. That means the Canadian Open could prove decisive for Eala and Auger-Aliassime, with results in both the men’s and women’s draws shaping the final list.

The scenarios are straightforward. If Iga Swiatek wins, Casper Ruud and Iga Swiatek qualify. If Elena Rybakina or Coco Gauff win, Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik qualify. If Elina Svitolina wins Toronto and Brandon Nakashima wins Montreal, Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime qualify. If Elina Svitolina wins Toronto and Brandon Nakashima does not win Montreal, Andrey Rublev and Mirra Andreeva qualify.

For Eala and Auger-Aliassime, the cleanest route is simple: if Elina Svitolina and Brandon Nakashima both win, they will be in on their joint ranking. Svitolina is set to meet Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, while Nakashima faces Rafael Jodar for a place in the final, so nothing is settled yet.

Even if they miss the ranking cutoff, the pair still appear well placed. Eala has been one of the most popular players on the WTA Tour this year, drawing large crowds in Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, Wimbledon, and most recently at the Canadian Open. With a large Filipino community in New York, she is expected to attract major attention at Flushing Meadows.

If they do not earn entry on ranking, a wildcard would appear the likeliest outcome. Eala previously played the US Open in 2025, when she claimed her first Grand Slam match win against Clara Tauson in the opening round.