Jack Draper is set to make his return to tennis at the Eastbourne Open, with Andy Murray by his side as coach.
The 24-year-old has been out of action since early April due to injury and brought in Murray to guide him through the grass-court season.
This will be Murray’s second coaching role after his stint with Novak Djokovic, which lasted until early last year.
There aren’t many that know British tennis better than Andy Murray, who’ll be able to offer Draper guidance from not only the technical side but also from the perspective of understanding what it takes mentally.
Draper still has plenty of development ahead of him, and there are certainly worse people he could have guiding him through this phase than one of Britain’s most successful players ever.
Andy Murray shares his thoughts on Jack Draper before the Eastbourne Opener
Speaking to the BBC, Murray explained: “After I stopped working with Novak, I had a number of opportunities to coach again. I had no interest in being on the road and away from my family.
“It wasn’t that I disliked coaching – I just didn’t enjoy it more than I do being at home with my family.
“When Jack asked me, I thought about it, spoke to my wife and told Jack that I’d love to help him.
“I think Jack’s a brilliant player. There is no doubt that when he gets back on the court, he will perform well and win matches at the highest level.
“But right now the focus is on trying to get him back competing consistently again.”
Jack Draper gets Brandon Nakashima in the Eastbourne first round
Draper’s last match came during the clay season at the Barcelona Open, where he was forced to retire against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Since then, he has been recovering from a shoulder issue and is now ready to return, with fifth seed Brandon Nakashima standing in his way in the opening round of Eastbourne.
Nakashima and Draper have faced off three times on the ATP Tour, with Draper currently leading their head-to-head 2-1.
Their most recent meeting was at Queen’s last year, where Draper edged out a three-set win to reach the semifinals.
Read more:
