Jack Draper will miss the French Open and the rest of the clay court season due to a knee injury

Britain’s Jack Draper will miss the rest of the clay court season, including next month’s French Open, due to an ongoing knee injury.

The 24-year-old hopes to return for the grass court season next June, but by then he will almost certainly be outside the top 100 players in the world.

Draper retired from his only match on clay courts this season in Barcelona earlier this month due to a problem with the tendon in his right knee.

He then withdrew from back-to-back ATP 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome, but expressed optimism that he would be fit for the French Open.

Draper posted on his Instagram account: “My knee is improving and I started hitting balls again, but unfortunately I was advised not to play at Roland Garros.”

“Although it hurts to miss a Grand Slam, the advice is not to rush straight back to playing five-set tennis on clay.”

The tournament in Barcelona was the fourth event of Draper’s return from a bone bruise in his serving arm, which has kept him off the tour since Wimbledon last year, except for one match at the US Open.

“Aside from the back arm injury, I have been limited in my training and by giving myself time to recover and build, I can become the player I want to be again,” Draper added.