Jack Draper got his BNP Paribas Open title defense off to a winning start on Saturday, battling past Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round. Still in the early stages of his comeback from injury, the Brit showed encouraging signs as he settled into the match and closed strongly to secure the three-set victory.
The No. 14 seed missed most of the 2025 season and the start of 2026 due to a left-arm injury (bone bruising on his serving arm). He played only one match after 2025 Wimbledon—winning against Federico Gomez in the first round at the US Open, before withdrawing—and was forced to pull out of this year’s Australian Open.
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Now settling back on tour after eight months away, Draper discussed one of the biggest adjustments he’s made—a new service motion.
The 24-year-old broke down the changes in conversation with Chris Eubanks and Steve Weissman at the BMW Tennis Channel Desk.
“Most of it was just reflecting on my injury, to be honest,” Draper said. “I had a couple of arm injuries the last couple of years. Obviously, the one that I just had was very complex, very long, and so I had to make decisions to help my recovery. That was one of them.”
