Draper said before the tournament that he was “ready to go” despite struggling with a bruised humerus – the bone that runs from the shoulder to elbow – on his left serving arm.
He arrived in New York having not played since his second-round defeat at Wimbledon in early July, having withdrawn from key tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati in order to recover.
The Englishman competed in the US Open mixed doubles tournament alongside Jessica Pegula last week and wore a sleeve on his injured arm during his first-round match.
He admitted afterwards his presence at the tournament had been in doubt, saying: “I wasn’t too sure if I was going to make it here.”
Draper practised in New York on Wednesday morning but later announced he would be unable to continue in the tournament.
It is a bitter blow for the Briton, who had his breakout major performance in New York last year.
His ranking points from his run to the last four will drop off after the tournament, which could impact his bid to qualify for the year-end ATP Tour Finals.
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