Jack Draper will miss the French Open and the rest of the clay court season due to a knee injury

Britain’s Jack Draper will miss the rest of the clay court season – including next month’s French Open – with a knee injury.

The 24-year-old hopes to bounce back in June’s grass court season but will almost certainly be out of the world’s top 100 by then.

Draper retired from the season’s only clay court match in Barcelona earlier this month due to a tendon problem in his right knee.

He then withdrew from back-to-back ATP 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome, but expressed optimism that he would be fit for the French Open.

“My knee is on the mend and I’m back hitting the ball but unfortunately I’ve been advised not to play Roland Garros,” Draper posted on Instagram.

“As brave as it is to miss another Slam, the advice is not to come straight back to play five sets of tennis on clay.”

The tournament in Barcelona was just the fourth event in Draper’s return from a bone bruise in his serving arm, which – bar one match at the US Open – has kept him out of the tour since Wimbledon last year.

“On the back of the arm injury, I’ve been limited with my training and with time to heal and build myself up, I can be the player I want to be out there again,” Draper added.