Jack Draper makes US Open prediction after narrowly avoiding 'very serious' setback

Jack Draper is optimistic of another strong showing at the US Open after recovering from an arm injury. The British number one is back at the scene of his run to the semi-finals 12 months ago but his opening-round match against qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez on Monday will be his first since his second-round loss to Marin Cilic at Wimbledon more than seven weeks ago.

Draper revealed he had been playing with pain in his left arm that was diagnosed as bone bruising, forcing him to miss the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati.

“I first started feeling it towards the middle of the clay season,” he said. “I felt like my arm was shutting down a little bit when I was hitting forehands and on the serve, as well.

“It kind of got progressively a bit worse. Then on the grass it got quite painful. So didn’t know what I was dealing with. After the grass, I got it checked out. I had some bone stress, bone bruising, in my humerus on my left side.

“It is one of those where, if you keep playing with it, it could become very, very serious. So I had to take some time out. Saying that, it was not so bad, because I could obviously do a lot of other things physically. It wasn’t like I had to stop completely. Tough injury to have, but definitely one where I had to look after it.”

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Draper refused to blame the injury for his disappointing showing at Wimbledon but, back on his favoured hard courts, he is eager to regain the momentum he established earlier in the year.

After winning his first Masters tournament in Indian Wells in March, Draper was the form player on the tour, and he is optimistic the injury will not affect his chances in New York.

“I have been training a lot the last month or so, physically really pushed myself hard, and that makes me feel mentally really good about myself,” said the 23-year-old.

“I’m just really excited to be back here at the US Open and back competing, doing what I like doing best.

“It’s an injury which takes time to heal. It might be giving me some discomfort, that’s for sure. It’s not something which I’m going to go out on Monday and feel like it’s holding me back at all.”

Draper has at least already played some competitive points at Flushing Meadows this year having made it to the semi-finals of the revamped mixed doubles alongside American Jessica Pegula.

He hopes that will prevent any rust, saying: “It was kind of perfect for me because I hadn’t had any competition, I hadn’t felt that feeling of playing in front of people and that sort of stuff for a little while.

“I think it was a really positive experience for myself, and I definitely feel a lot sharper having played that as opposed to maybe having a training week.”