Jack Draper loses to Arthur Rinderknech at Dubai Tennis Championships

British number one Jack Draper suffered a second-round loss to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on his return to the ATP Tour at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Contesting his first event on the men’s tour since the US Open six months ago, Draper marked his comeback from injury by beating Quentin Halys in straight sets on Monday.

But the 24-year-old’s tournament was ended by world number 31 Rinderknech in a 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 loss two days later.

Draper has slipped to 15th in the world, after reaching a career-high ranking of fourth last summer, following his long-term absence caused by a bruised bone in his service arm.

The issue, which began during the clay-court swing last April, progressively worsened to the point that he was forced to withdraw before his second-round match at the US Open in August – and subsequently finished his 2025 season.

Draper ended his 164-day wait to make his return to competition when he played – and won – one match for Great Britain at this month’s Davis Cup qualifiers.

Draper said he was «really proud» to make a winning return to the tour following «a lot of down moments [during] the last eight months».

Seeking to build on the victory over the 68th-ranked Halys, Draper made an assured start on serve as he lost just two points across his opening four games.

But he crucially failed to take his first two break points in the 11th game, before Rinderknech seized his opportunity to clinch the opening set in the following game.

Draper was the first to come under pressure in the second set as he withstood three break points to restore parity at 3-3 but, from the brink of trailing by a set and a break, he reset impressively.

The Briton lost just one point over his next three service games and would not relinquish control of the tie-break after winning four of the first five points.

However, it was Rinderknech who forced the breakthrough in the deciding set – with that proving enough to secure a quarter-final meeting with Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev.