Jack Draper is set to make his return to professional tennis next week at the Eastbourne International, facing American Brandon Nakashima in what promises to be a closely watched match. The British player, whose career has been interrupted by a knee injury since mid-April, has not competed since retiring from his match against Tomas Etcheverry in Barcelona.

The 24-year-old Draper was forced to withdraw from the French Open and had to cancel his planned comeback at Queen’s Club earlier this month due to ongoing issues with his knee. As a result, his ATP ranking has dropped significantly, falling from a career-high of number four to 113.

Nakashima, Draper’s opponent at Eastbourne and a former junior rival, expressed confidence in Draper’s ability to return to the upper echelons of men’s tennis. “Jack has unfortunately been dealing with a lot of injuries, but we all know the player he’s capable of being,” Nakashima said. “As long as he stays healthy, I think he can definitely get back to where he was.” Notably, Draper will be under the guidance of Andy Murray as part of his coaching team for the first time during this comeback.

In other recent tennis developments, Nakashima narrowly missed reaching the final of the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club. The American, seeded seventh, lost in the semifinals to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. Nakashima dropped the first set in a close tiebreak but rallied to win the following two sets 6-3, 6-4.

Meanwhile, at the Halle Open, defending French Open champion Alexander Zverev’s winning streak came to a halt in the semifinals. Zverev, who had won 10 consecutive matches after his maiden Grand Slam victory in Paris, was defeated 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 by American Taylor Fritz. Fritz will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the final after Tiafoe secured a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier.

On the women’s circuit at the Berlin Open, Aryna Sabalenka suffered a setback, falling to third seed Jessica Pegula in three sets, 6-4, 6-7, 6-0.

Draper’s return at Eastbourne will mark a significant moment in his career as he seeks to overcome injuries and regain his position among the world’s top players.