Jack Draper: British number one makes winning return to ATP Tour in Dubai and unveils striking new look

jack draper made a winning return to ATP Tour competition in Dubai, defeating Quentin Halys 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 to record his first tour-level victory since last summer and debut a new short haircut. The win closes a lengthy spell out of tour singles action and sets up a second-round meeting with either Fabian Marozsan or Arthur Rinderknech.

Jack Draper’s winning return: scoreline and match details

Draper won 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 on his debut at the Dubai Tennis Championships, overcoming a set point when serving at 5-4 in the opening set. He edged the tight tiebreak by stringing together three consecutive points to overturn an 8-7 deficit and then secured the only break of the match in the fourth game of the second set when Quentin Halys hit wide, giving Draper a 3-1 lead. He served out the match conceding just two further points on serve and finished with an 86% win rate on his first serve.

Injury lay-off, comeback chronology and conflicting timelines

Coverage of Draper’s absence contains multiple timelines in the provided context. He had not played a singles-tournament match since the US Open first round on 25 August and had remained absent from tour singles competition after withdrawing from the US Open before his second-round match because of a left arm injury. Another account notes he had been nursing bone bruising in his left arm ever since a second-round defeat to Marin Cilic at Wimbledon, and a further detail describes a seven-month injury lay-off with only one match played since Wimbledon. Draper contested his first competitive match for 164 days in a Davis Cup qualifiers tie earlier in February, beating Norway’s Viktor Durasovic in straight sets, and also made a comeback for Great Britain on 5 February. One summary frames the Dubai result as his first tour win in 182 days. Where timelines differ, the specific figures are unclear in the provided context.

Performance metrics, match duration and service work

Stat lines in the material show several exact metrics: an 86% first-serve win rate and 24 winners overall, with 19 of those winners coming off Draper’s previously affected forehand side. One account credits him with 13 aces and a conversion of one of five break-point opportunities; another notes nine aces en route to the tiebreak. The tiebreak phase is described variously as requiring Draper to save multiple set points — three set points saved in one version and two in another — and the match length is listed both as one hour and six minutes and as one hour and 39 minutes in different accounts. Draper has also been working on his serve, having hit a large volume of serves over the past eight months and making some alteration to his service motion while working with new coach Jamie Delgado, details that are presented in the context.

Form, rankings, past season and age notes

Contextual material notes Draper reached a career-high ranking of fourth in June before slipping to 15th in the world; another passage simply states he remains ranked 15th despite the hiatus. His 2025 season earlier included a Masters 1, 000 title at Indian Wells and fourth-round appearances at the Australian and French Opens. Age reporting differs across accounts: one reference lists him as 24 years old, another as 23; this discrepancy is unclear in the provided context.

Appearance, reaction and what comes next

Draper debuted a new buzz cut or shaved-head look in Dubai. His post-match demeanour was described as largely reserved, a solemn expression briefly breaking into a half smile, and he expressed pride in returning to competition, saying he had been craving the feeling of competing and that many people had helped him through difficult moments over the last eight months. He will play either Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan or France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the next round. Details that vary between accounts—match duration, ace counts, exact days out, the point of origin for the arm issue, and his precise age—are unclear in the provided context and may be clarified as further information emerges.