Jack Draper will step back onto a grass court this week at the Eastbourne International, his first competitive match in months, as the British No. 2 attempts to resurrect a career that has been stalled by a punishing sequence of injuries. With Wimbledon just seven days away, the 2025 Indian Wells champion is hoping that a new face in his coaching box — three-time Grand Slam winner Sir Andy Murray — can finally turn his fortunes around.
Three failed comebacks
Draper’s 2026 season has been defined by frustration. He attempted a return at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, then again in Miami in March, and most recently at the Barcelona Open in April. Each time he was forced to withdraw or was beaten before he could build any momentum, undone by a bone issue in his arm, knee tendonitis, and then a bout of tonsillitis. The setbacks have taken a heavy toll on his ranking: from a career-high of world No. 4 after his run to the semi-finals of the 2024 US Open and his Masters 1000 triumph at Indian Wells in 2025, Draper has slid to No. 113.
His return to action will come against American Marcos Giron, a player he has beaten in all previous meetings, most recently on grass in Stuttgart last year. Giron, who reached a career-high ranking of world No. 37 and won his first ATP title at the 2024 Hall of Fame Open, enters Eastbourne as a lucky loser after being beaten in qualifying by British qualifier Jan Choinski. He replaced fifth seed Brandon Nakashima, who withdrew with a back injury. Giron’s current form is described as average — he holds a 51.4% win rate in 2026 — but Draper will know that rust and a fragile body leave little margin for error.
Sir Andy Murray’s influence
The most significant change in Draper’s camp is the arrival of Murray, who has joined his coaching team for the grass-court season. Murray, a former world No. 1 and a champion at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open, has made clear that his involvement is limited — he cannot travel full-time because of family commitments — but he is based close enough to Draper to make regular sessions workable. The arrangement has already produced a tangible boost in confidence.
“He is a more complete player than I probably expected,” Murray has said of Draper. The Scot has been impressed by the range of Draper’s game, describing his talent as “bloody good” and insisting that the 24-year-old has few weaknesses. Murray believes Draper is “starting to come out the other side” of his injury problems, and the timing could hardly be more critical. The Eastbourne tournament, officially the Rothesay International Eastbourne, is held at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, a venue with a history stretching back to 1874 and grass courts widely regarded as among the best in Britain. It became a combined ATP and WTA event in 2009 and serves as the final warm-up before the All England Club.
Draper’s first round match against Giron is therefore more than just a routine opener. It is a test of whether the work with Murray — who has brought his own experience of overcoming career-threatening hip injuries — can help Draper shake off the physical fragility that has dogged him. Murray has expressed admiration for Draper’s resilience, but the proof will be in the results.
Wimbledon in the crosshairs
Beyond Eastbourne lies Wimbledon, where Draper reached the junior singles final in 2018. The senior draw for the 2024 edition — the tournament that was actually played in 2024 — saw Taylor Fritz claim the men’s title, but the research for the upcoming 2025 Wimbledon (the one Draper is targeting) indicates that the top seeds include Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic. Projections suggest that if Draper can build momentum in Eastbourne, he could face a potential third-round meeting with Alexander Zverev at SW19.
For now, though, the immediate focus is on surviving a match without another setback. Draper’s career highlights — three ATP Tour titles, a US Open semi-final, and that stunning Indian Wells run — show what is possible when his body holds up. But the gap between potential and reality has been measured in missed tournaments and a ranking that has dropped more than 100 places. The presence of Sir Andy Murray in his corner provides a psychological lift, but also a deeper source of tactical knowledge. Murray knows better than most what it takes to win on grass, and his belief that Draper’s game is “bloody good” may be the most telling indicator that this time, the comeback could stick.
