Sir Andy Murray offers fascinating explanation for rise in tennis injuries after Jack Draper's Wimbledon exit

Sir Andy Murray has offered a fascinating explanation for the perceived rise in tennis injuries, after Jack Draper exited Wimbledon due to a recurring arm issue.

The two-time Wimbledon winner retired in 2024, eight years after his third and final Grand Slam title victory against Milos Raonic in 2016 on Centre Court.

The British champion reached three Wimbledon finals during his career, winning his other, and first, against Novak Djokovic in 2013.

The year prior, Murray fell to eight-time winner, the greatest in Wimbledon's history, Roger Federer in a three sets to one loss.

Both of Murray's Wimbledon victories arrived in straight sets, however, his first Grand Slam victory at the US Open against Djokovic came in a nail-biting five-setter.

The Brit endured his fair share of injuries throughout the years, hardly a surprise for such a dynamic, aggressive mover who refused at any and all costs to allow a point to die.

After undergoing Birmingham Hip Surgery in 2019, Murray never returned to the career-best levels which allowed him to enter discussions as being part of the unofficial 'Big Four', alongside Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and he has now offered a fascinating explanation behind the perceived rise in tennis injuries in recent times.

Sir Andy Murray explains the rise in upper limb tennis injuries, days after Jack Draper exits Wimbledon

Jack Draper, former British #1 who was replaced in the rankings by Cameron Norrie in March of this year, exited Wimbledon shortly prior to his opening match face-off against Taylor Fritz, citing a recurring arm injury as the reason for his withdrawal.

Murray, who is currently Draper's coach and would have been present at Wimbledon for the 24-year-old's matches, recently appeared at an IBM event and discussed the perceived rise in tennis injuries, particularly those affecting the upper limbs.

As relayed by Tennis365, who were present at the event, Murray said: "“This is an interesting one because I don’t think the data suggests we are getting any more injuries now compared to ten years ago... [but] there does seem to be more upper limb injuries than there was.

"In my opinion, that is due to the change in racket technology and the strings that players are using... Players have gone to much lighter rackets than they used to use before. And [they come] with quite stiff strings in the racket, so a lot of force is going through the arm.

"Before, players used much more forgiving strings and heavier rapids, and that meant more of the force went through the racket than the arm. I feel like that’s something that maybe some of the players should look at," he concluded.

The two-time Wimbledon winner then explained how players may feel that lighter rackets are required to compete in today's game, with the sport having gotten quicker and athletes now preferring a faster racket to wield on-court.

Emma Radacanu, who won the 2021 US Open and became the first player in tennis history to win a Grand Slam entering the competition as a qualifier, also withdrew from Wimbledon due to injury, although, the issue was with her right leg.

The biggest name player, on an ever-growing list of absent athletes at Wimbledon, currently out with an upper limb injury is seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, who skipped both Roland Garros and Wimbledon to recover from a recurring wrist problem.

Alcaraz, a four-time slam winner across the two tournaments he withdrew from, is nursing a stress strain — the result of hitting such large forehands over a consistent period of time, with the Spaniard being known for his aggressive, hyper-fast style of play.