US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper has been left out of Great Britain’s opening Davis Cup tie against Finland on Wednesday. Draper, 22, arrived in Manchester on Tuesday and, after a practice session under British captain Leon Smith, has been given additional time to recover from his recent New York performance.
Draper had strapping on his right thigh and practiced briefly with British number 10 Charles Broom.
In Draper’s absence, 29-year-old Billy Harris, the highest-ranked player available, will make his Davis Cup debut. Dan Evans will compete in singles and then partner with Neal Skupski in the doubles.
Before Draper’s practice session, British captain Leon Smith explained, “I have to choose the team based on what is best not just for Wednesday, but also for the crucial matches this weekend. We need to balance risk and reward.”
Smith added, “We have four players here who are more than capable of stepping up and performing well if needed.”
Draper, the British men’s number one, reached the US Open semi-finals, where he was defeated by world number one Jannik Sinner, who later won the title. Draper attributed his on-court illness during the match to the psychological stress.
Smith noted, “We need to assess Draper’s energy levels and determine how much tennis he can handle throughout the week.”
The British Davis Cup team, now without Andy Murray following his recent retirement, has a fresh dynamic for the Finals group stage.
Evans and Skupski, who famously secured a dramatic doubles victory last year to advance Britain to the knockout stage, are back, along with Draper.
New additions include late-blooming Harris, who has reached a career-high 101st in the world, and Wimbledon doubles champion Henry Patten.
British number two Cameron Norrie is absent due to an arm injury that also ruled him out of the US Open.
Smith’s squad will compete against Finland, Argentina, and Canada in the round-robin stage at the AO Arena. The top two teams will advance to the finals in Malaga from November 19-24.
