Tearful Draper struggles during comeback defeat

Jack Draper's return to the court after months of injury struggles was marked by a tearful performance as he was upset in the first round at the Canadian Open. The 24-year-old British tennis star took on France's Terence Atmane, but recurring discomfort in his arm ultimately cost him the match 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Draper entered the tournament as a wildcard after a persistent arm injury pushed him out of the rankings, dropping him from fourth to as low as 160th in less than a year.

Since injuring his shoulder at the US Open in August, Draper has battled bone bruising and pulled out of planned comebacks at Wimbledon and the Washington Open. His return to the court was initially tentative, but he found his form in the second set, defeating Atmane 6-2 to spark cheers from the Montreal crowd. However, his third-set performance was a different story, as Draper struggled to maintain his energy and eventually conceded the set.

The Canadian Open semifinalist appeared frustrated, visibly emotional as he sat down to rest during a change of ends. His tearful exit leaves his future participation in subsequent tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, in question. Meanwhile, Britain's fifth-ranked player, Jacob Fearnley, secured a second-round spot by defeating Adrian Mannarino 7-6, 6-4, setting up a match against Czech Republic's Jakub Mensik.