“I’m Back”: Jack Draper Returns to ATP Tour After 7-Month Injury Nightmare

Former world No.4 and Indian Wells champion ready to resume career in Dubai

February 23, 2026 | 2 min read

Jack Draper is finally back where he belongs.

The British No.1 will make his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, marking his first Tour-level appearance in seven months.

Draper hasn’t competed since cutting his 2025 season short due to injury. The former world No.4 and reigning Indian Wells champion used the Davis Cup as a warm-up, securing a victory that reignited his professional journey.

Draper will begin his campaign against either a qualifier or a lucky loser. For a player of his caliber, anything less than a deep run would be disappointing.

The ATP 500 event features a murderer’s row of talent:

Must-See First-Round Matches

The draw delivered some absolute bangers:

Tsitsipas, the defending champion, faces a brutal opener against Humbert, who won the title in 2024. That’s not a first-round match. That’s a final masquerading as an early-round eliminator.

Third seed Daniil Medvedev and fifth seed Andrey Rublev add Russian firepower to the field. But the sentimental favorite is wild card Stan Wawrinka.

The three-time Grand Slam champion is playing his final season on the ATP Tour. Dubai marks another stop on his farewell tour. He’ll open against fellow wild card Benjamin Hassan.

For Draper, this week is about more than rankings or prize money. It’s about proving the body still works. That the Indian Wells magic wasn’t a one-off. That seven months away hasn’t dimmed the talent that made him world No.4.

For the fans in Dubai, they get to witness the return of a British star. And a tournament field stacked so deep, every match feels like a final.

Welcome back, Jack. Tennis missed you.

Fish, Friends, and a Title Defense: Alcaraz’s Unforgettable Week in Doha

The world No. 1 traded Grand Slam glory for a day on the water with Sinner, Medvedev, and Rublev—before picking up where he left off in Melbourne

Published: February 17, 2026 | 3 min read

DOHA — Carlos Alcaraz is back on the court. But before he got down to business, he decided to go fishing.

The world No. 1, fresh off becoming the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, has returned to ATP Tour action at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. His first match Tuesday ended with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Arthur Rinderknech. But the real story happened the day before.

Alcaraz traded the baseline for the open water, joining three of his fiercest rivals—Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev—for a traditional Qatari fishing trip.

The catch? They wore matching outfits. White t-shirts. Plaid-patterned pants. Four of the best players on the planet, looking like they stepped out of a resort catalog.

The tournament shared video of the outing, and Rublev stole the show with his unfiltered reactions. But all four players succeeded in reeling in their catch of the day.

For a moment, they weren’t competitors. They were just four guys fishing.

A day earlier, Sinner had opened his campaign with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 dismissal of Tomas Machac. Alcaraz followed Tuesday with a harder-fought win.

The Spaniard saved both break points he faced and erased a pair of set points at 5-6 in the second set before closing out Rinderknech in a tiebreak.

Rinderknech, now 0-5 against Alcaraz, had a sense of humor about it afterward.

“One time you let me win?” the Frenchman joked.

Alcaraz laughed, but his assessment was serious.

“Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round.”

What’s Next

Alcaraz withdrew from last week’s ATP 500 in Rotterdam to rest after his Melbourne heroics. The time off seems to have served him well.

Next up: another Frenchman. Alcaraz will face Valentin Royer for a place in the quarterfinals.

But win or lose, he’ll always have the memory of that day on the water—matching plaid pants, unscripted laughter, and four rivals who, for a few hours, were just friends with fishing poles.