“I’ve been craving this”: Buzz-cut Draper marks return with clinical Dubai win
Jack Draper won against Quentin Halys 7-6 (8), 6-3 on Monday evening and will play the winner of the match between Hungarian Fabian Marozsan and Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the next round
Jack Draper, Dubai 2026 | © ATP Media / Tennis Majors
Englishman Jack Draper officially announced his return to the world stage on Monday evening, securing a hard-fought 7-6(8), 6-3 victory over French qualifier Quentin Halys in the opening round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
After a grueling six-month hiatus due to a complex bone bruise in his left arm – an injury that forced him to end his 2025 season at the US Open – Draper looked every bit the top-tier competitor that reached world No. 4 last year. This was his first ATP tour-level win in 182 days, and he looked physically transformed, debuting a striking new buzz-cut and a protective black sleeve on his dominant left arm.
The first set was a high-stakes serving duel that pushed Draper’s endurance immediately. The world No. 15 and 24-year old was forced to save two set points in a tense tiebreak, eventually clinching it 10-8. Having weathered the storm, Draper broke Halys early in the second set and leaned on a revitalized serve to close out the match in 99 minutes.
“It feels so good, honestly,” Draper said in a post-match interview with Sky Sports, where he accidentally let a swear word slip in his excitement, admitting he had been doing a “s… load of serves” in practice to prepare. “I’ve been craving the feeling of competing for a very long time. A lot of people have helped me to get back to this position after a lot of down moments… It’s really not been easy.”
Now seeded fourth in Dubai, Draper is on a mission to reclaim his top-10 status and defend his upcoming points from his 2025 Indian Wells title. He moves on to face either Fabian Marozsan or Arthur Rinderknech in the next round.
Dubai ATP 500 1st round (Monday)
F. Auger-Aliassime (1) – Z. Zhang (PR): 6-3, 7-6[4]
G. Mpetshi Perricard (Q) – M. Echargui (WC): 7-6[3], 6-7[3], 7-6[4]
S. Wawrinka (WC) – B. Hassan (WC): 7-5, 6-3
J. Draper (4) – Q. Halys (Q): 7-6[8], 6-3
