Jack Draper Awarded Montreal Wild Card as He Returns from Injury

Jack Draper has been handed a wild card into the National Bank Open in Montreal as he steps up his comeback. The tournament, which begins coverage on Sky Sports from Monday, August 3, granted one of its final wild cards to the Brit alongside Canadians Alexis Galarneau and Liam Draxl.

Draper is returning from a left-arm injury that has contributed to an injury-hit 2026. The former world No. 4 has missed all three Grand Slam events this year and has played only five tour events, most recently appearing in Eastbourne last month. He withdrew late from the DC Open in Washington before accepting the Montreal invite.

Coached by Sir Andy Murray, Draper has slipped to world No. 147 in the ATP rankings. That low position means he is unlikely to gain direct entry into the US Open main draw in September and would probably have to go through qualifying to compete at Flushing Meadows.

Reflecting on the last year, Draper said he has faced “an incredibly challenging 12 months, a lot of adversity, a lot of problem solving, a lot of pain,” but added: “I’ve never had a long-term injury before so I feel much better than I ever have in the last year. I feel physically really good.”

Draper first stepped away from the tour a year ago with the arm issue and has since also been hampered by knee and shoulder problems that interrupted his attempted return. The Montreal wild card gives him a chance to build match fitness and regain momentum as he aims to push through his recovery and re-establish his ranking.

The National Bank Open will offer Draper a timely opportunity to test his form against strong opposition ahead of the North American hard-court swing and the US Open qualifying campaign later in August.