
JACK DRAPER admitted his hip injury was a "ticking time bomb" after being forced to retire in agony from his Australian Open clash with Carlos Alcaraz.
And the British No.1, who played on "lots of painkillers", warned he could be forced to manage tendonitis in his joint for the rest of his career.
Draper shook hands with the Spanish superstar after losing the first two sets 7-5 6-1 in the Rod Laver Arena.
And the No.15 seed then revealed he "could not walk" before Christmas with the injury that ruined his pre-season, and that he only started full training "four days before the tournament".
The US Open semi-finalist then played three five-set matches here with his third-round win finishing at 12.55am on Saturday before he faced the French and Wimbledon champion at 4pm yesterday on the hottest day of the tournament. It was a perfect storm in the 34C heat (93F).
This story is from the January 20, 2025 edition of Daily Express.
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This story is from the January 20, 2025 edition of Daily Express.
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