Jack Draper: British number one makes winning return to ATP Tour in Dubai
jack draper marked his return to ATP singles competition with a straight-sets victory over Quentin Halys, winning 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 on his debut at the Dubai Tennis Championships, his first tour match since the US Open first round on 25 August. He described the moment as "really proud" and said he had been "craving the feeling of competing for a very long time. "
Jack Draper match details and stats
The 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 win came against the 68th-ranked Quentin Halys. Draper withstood a set point when serving at 5-4 in the opening set, then edged a tight tiebreak to 10-8; one description notes he won three consecutive points to overturn an 8-7 deficit. Accounts also state he was forced to save set points in the tiebreak — two set points in one version and three set points in another. Match timing is recorded differently: one figure given is one hour and six minutes, another is one hour and 39 minutes.
Comeback timeline and injuries
Draper had not played a singles tournament match since the US Open first round on 25 August and had been absent from tour singles competition after withdrawing from the US Open before his second-round match because of a left arm injury six months ago. One account says he withdrew after beating Federico Agustin Gomez in the first round. He contested his first competitive match for 164 days at the Davis Cup qualifiers earlier in February, beating Norway's Viktor Durasovic in straight sets; another note gives that Davis Cup score as 6-2, 6-2. Independent coverage described his win in Dubai as his first tour-level victory in 182 days and described his comeback from a seven-month injury lay-off, having played just one match since Wimbledon due to bone bruising in his left arm. A separate line of detail says he had been nursing a "bone bruising" injury in his left arm ever since a second-round defeat to Marin Cilic at Wimbledon, while another account traces a bruised bone in his service arm to the clay-court swing in April that progressively worsened.
Serving and scoring numbers
Draper finished with an 86% win rate on his first serve and is credited in one report with 13 aces; another report says he hit nine aces on his way to the tiebreak. He converted just one of five break-point opportunities in the match. The first break of serve arrived in the fourth game of the second set when Halys hit wide to give Draper a 3-1 lead; Draper then served out the match, conceding just two further points on his serve. The left-hander recorded 24 winners, with 19 of them coming off his previously affected forehand side.
New look and coaching work
Draper unveiled a striking new hairstyle in Dubai, variously described as a shaved head or a buzz cut; one piece suggested the look may be inspired by another player's accidental buzz cut at the US Open. He has been working with new coach Jamie Delgado and said he had been hitting a "sh*tload" of serves over the past eight months, changing part of his service motion as he focused on getting his arm back to full strength. "It's more serving than I've ever done in the past because I’ve had to get my arm back to being 100 per cent and that takes time, " he said.
What’s next in Dubai
Seeded fourth in Dubai, Draper — described variously as a 24-year-old and as a 23-year-old in different accounts — has slipped to 15th in the world after reaching a career-high ranking of fourth in June, with one summary noting he "remains ranked 15th" and another calling him a former world No 4. He will face either Hungary's Fabian Marozsan or France's Arthur Rinderknech in the next round. Draper's recent season form includes winning the Masters 1, 000 title at Indian Wells and reaching the fourth round of the Australian and French Opens in a promising start to his 2025 season. He also took the decision to miss the Australian Open in January in order to complete a full recovery and returned to action for Great Britain on 5 February.
On court after the win his celebration was muted: a solemn face briefly breaking into half a smile. He reflected on support through his rehabilitation: "A lot of people have helped me to get back to this position after a lot of down moments in the last eight months. It's not been easy to be back here and that's something I can be really proud of. Long may it continue. "
