Jack Draper demands urgent tennis change after incidents involving Emma Raducanu and Novak Djokovic

Writing on social media, Draper said the physical demands on players had reached unsustainable levels.

“Injuries are going to happen,” he wrote.

“We are pushing our bodies to do things they aren’t supposed to in elite sport.

“We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I’m proud to be a part of that.

“However, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are going to achieve some sort of longevity.”

Injuries are going to happen… we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren’t supposed to in elite sport. We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I’m proud to be apart of that, however, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are gonna…

— jack draper (@jackdraper0) October 18, 2025

His comments follow another string of injuries among top players, reigniting debate about whether tennis’s year-round schedule allows enough time for recovery.

The season stretches from January to November, leaving only a brief off-season before pre-season training begins again.

Many players, Draper included, have spoken of the difficulty of maintaining peak performance while managing the physical and mental toll.

Djokovic, now 38 and still competing at the highest level, was forced to retire from his third-place play-off against Taylor Fritz at the Six Kings Slam.

His withdrawal highlighted the strain on even the most experienced athletes.

Rune, just 22, recently pulled out of the Nordic Open with a serious Achilles tendon injury, while British No 1 Emma Raducanu has ended her season early after struggling with a series of physical setbacks during her recent tour of Asia.

Raducanu had been due to compete at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and the Hong Kong Open beginning on October 27 but has opted instead to prioritise her rehabilitation.

Her decision follows a pattern seen across both men’s and women’s tennis this year, with high-profile names including Naomi Osaka, Daria Kasatkina, Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa all battling injuries or burnout.

Draper’s call for reform was supported by world No 4 Taylor Fritz, who said the sport’s slower court conditions and heavier balls have made matches more punishing on the body.

“Facts,” Fritz wrote in response.

“Also seeing more injuries and burnout now than ever before. Because balls, courts, and conditions have slowed down a lot, making the weekly grind even more physically demanding and tough on the body.”

The issue of player welfare has been a recurring theme within professional tennis.

While the sport’s global appeal relies on a near-continuous calendar of tournaments, many current and former players have argued that the balance between competition, travel, and recovery has become unsustainable.

The ATP and WTA Tours have both made minor adjustments in recent years, but the number of injuries among top-ranked stars suggests deeper changes may be necessary.

For Draper, whose career has already been disrupted by several injury setbacks, the message is simple: unless the structure of the sport evolves, the longevity of even its most talented players will remain under threat.