Jack Draper says increase in injuries in men's tennis is 'pretty worrying'

[p]The 24-year-old former world number four has had a torrid 12 months, cutting short ‌last season with a bone injury in his arm and this year being dogged by ‌a knee issue.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/draper-jack/SWxNhpmK/"]Draper[/a] returned to action for the first time since ‌April last week at Eastbourne and reached the semi-finals.[/p][embed guid="a114cce6-8b97-4ab6-8761-3b07cc9d83a2" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2071259715221299642" social-type="twitter" /][p]The left-hander faces a tough ‌first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday after being drawn against big-serving ‌American world number seven [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a].[/p][p]Wimbledon is missing Spain's two-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Carlos Alcaraz[/a] with a wrist injury while Italian former world number five [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musetti-lorenzo/xtH2ODVI/"]Lorenzo Musetti[/a] is out with ‌a thigh muscle problem.[/p][p]Other players not at Wimbledon ⁠include Denmark's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rune-holger/2kRS8swG/"]Holger Rune[/a], who is ‌recovering from an Achilles tendon injury and Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/machac-tomas/S44E7UYr/"]Tomas Machac[/a] who is sidelined ​with a foot problem.[/p][h2]Arm injury[/h2][p]"[b]I think my arm injury, for instance, is something that I couldn't foresee. It was bad luck. ​With muscles, it's more of like a load thing. Also bones are a load thing as well[/b]," Draper told reporters on Sunday.[/p][p]"[b]Last year I ⁠would say I did well ​in the Masters 1000s. I was really trying to develop my game and push my game more and more every week to reach those guys like Alcaraz and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a], who play at an incredibly high level. ‌I just broke down[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I think it's pretty worrying the state of men's tennis, especially right now. The amount of injuries, especially through young players, Musetti, I know (Arthur) [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arthur-fils/IoIhUqIN/"]Fils[/a] has had a lot of trouble, Alcaraz's wrist[/b]."[/p][p]Men's tennis has evolved away from short rallies often won at the net to a baseline game with long exchanges of groundstrokes with athleticism and power now key.[/p][embed guid="ad56af7b-7d24-4791-81ed-cbf7210c93df" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2071199835944833326" social-type="twitter" /][p]"[b]I think definitely the way athletes are getting better and hitting the ball harder and moving better, I think it's my opinion ‌they need to really take a close look at what we're ​doing on tour[/b]," Draper said.[/p][p]"[b]I think the tournaments are going to ‌suffer a lot if not much changes. I think it's a really important topic[/b]."[/p][p]Draper said time away from the Tour has been mentally tough.[/p][p]"[b]I didn't know I was going to have the year I've had with the injuries, not being able to play too much, ⁠watching your ranking drop all the ⁠way down again to the ‌start[/b]," he said. "[b]Not (playing) for a long period of time, you're confused almost[/b]."[/p]