Jack Draper, the British number one, is poised to make a comeback in the Davis Cup after more than five months out with injury. The 22-year-old had initially hoped to compete at this month's Australian Open but ultimately withdrew due to persistent discomfort in his serving arm.
Following his withdrawal from the US Open in August, Draper expressed frustration with the decision not to participate, calling it "really, really tough". However, he has since made significant progress in his recovery and is now set to return for Great Britain's tie against Norway in February.
Captain Leon Smith has announced that Draper will be included in the squad, which also features Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley, Lloyd Glasspool, and Julian Cash. In contrast, Norway will field a team led by world number 12 Casper Ruud, who won three Grand Slam titles last year.
The match in Oslo will mark the first time Draper has competed since Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals. The recovery process for his injured arm is considered to be almost complete, with Draper hoping to make a full return by the start of February.
With this team announcement, Captain Smith can now name his strongest possible lineup, bringing balance and depth to the qualification tie. While there are still five months until the French Open, which marks the beginning of the main tennis season on clay courts, Great Britain's chances have just become significantly stronger with Draper back in contention.
Following his withdrawal from the US Open in August, Draper expressed frustration with the decision not to participate, calling it "really, really tough". However, he has since made significant progress in his recovery and is now set to return for Great Britain's tie against Norway in February.
Captain Leon Smith has announced that Draper will be included in the squad, which also features Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley, Lloyd Glasspool, and Julian Cash. In contrast, Norway will field a team led by world number 12 Casper Ruud, who won three Grand Slam titles last year.
The match in Oslo will mark the first time Draper has competed since Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals. The recovery process for his injured arm is considered to be almost complete, with Draper hoping to make a full return by the start of February.
With this team announcement, Captain Smith can now name his strongest possible lineup, bringing balance and depth to the qualification tie. While there are still five months until the French Open, which marks the beginning of the main tennis season on clay courts, Great Britain's chances have just become significantly stronger with Draper back in contention.
... that injury seemed pretty serious and now he's gotta play again? still nice to see him making progress tho 
hope he can stay healthy this time around, don't wanna see him get hurt again 
5 months till french open is a looong time but at least they're looking strong with this team squad 
! His recovery is looking pretty solid, and it's awesome that he's already made progress in his training. Having him back in the squad for Great Britain's tie against Norway will definitely bring some much-needed firepower to their team. It's also great to see Captain Smith having the confidence to name a strong lineup 
. Now, with Draper back in the mix, I think GB's chances of qualifying for the French Open have just gotten a lot more realistic 
!
Oh man, it's like a breath of fresh air when top players come back from injury! Jack Draper was really hurting to miss out on some big tournaments, but now that he's almost fully recovered 
. It'll be interesting to see how Draper's serving arm holds up after all these months out, but if he can stay healthy, I think this team is gonna crush it 
... what's good with his arm though? They say he's almost fully recovered but I don't know if I trust that. This is like a big deal or whatever for British tennis and all, but personally I'm more worried about how this affects his chances at the majors 
I'm so stoked that Jack Draper is making a comeback! Five months out with injury was a long time, and I'm glad he's getting close to being 100% fit again 
. I'm loving the squad selection too, Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley are always solid players, and Julian Cash is like a rock 
! And let's be real, Casper Ruud might be number 12 in the world, but Draper's got this 
! Bring on the Norwegian tie, I'm all about it 
!
...and it looks like Jack Draper is finally hanging on! His comeback from injury is a huge boost for Great Britain's Davis Cup team, and Captain Smith has done a great job in assembling a strong lineup. With Draper back in the mix, their chances just got a whole lot better – and we can't wait to see him take to the court again! 
It's been ages since he was out with that injury and I've been missing his on-court presence. The fact that he's made such great progress in his recovery is really heartening - it shows that he's not one to give up easily 
. The squad announcement looks solid too - Cameron Norrie is an excellent addition, but it'll be interesting to see how Draper performs after being out for so long 
. This match in Oslo could be intense! With Draper back on court, Great Britain's definitely boosted their chances for the qualification tie 
... but it's awesome that he's made progress and is now set to return in february 
... with draper back in contention, i think their chances at the french open are definitely increased 
This news is a great development for British tennis 
. His return to competitive tennis just in time for the Norway tie in February should give us an added boost 
. With Draper's strong serving ability and Norrie's all-around skillset, I'm optimistic about Great Britain's prospects for success this season 
. Norway's gonna bring their A-game though, what with Casper Ruud being number 12 in the world 
! It's always great to see our tennis players overcoming challenges and coming back stronger than ever 
!
. Bring on February! 
️. The fact that he made progress so quickly is insane, I mean, 5 months out with injury is no joke 
It's been ages since he last played and I was worried he'd be out for a while longer. But now that he's getting back on the court, it's gonna be epic! 
casper ruud is a legend btw