Jack Draper is preparing to compete in what will be his first tournament with Andy Murray officially by his side.
It will hopefully mark the end of what has been a torrid past 12 months laden with injuries, which have seen him miss huge stretches of this season and the last.
When fit, the Brit is widely regarded as one of tennis’ top players, more than capable of unsettling Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s duopoly. The issue is, he hasn’t been able to keep fit for long enough to prove it.
The hope is that, led by Andy Murray, Jack Draper can realise his potential whilst managing his body with much greater intelligence.
Jack Draper discusses what Andy Murray is really like as a coach
Speaking to The Times, the 23-year-old has actually been discussing what it’s like to have such a legendary figure by his side, helping to make him a better player.
This comes not long after Murray revealed how long he plans to coach Draper for, with Eastbourne marking their maiden event together.
How excited are you for Andy Murray to join Jack Draper’s team?
What a signing!
Asked about how this union came together and if it had always been the plan, the current world number 160 admitted: “It’s always been in the back of my mind that I wanted to work with Andy, obviously because of our relationship, but also he’s got a massive tennis brain and he made it pretty clear after he stopped that he wanted to get into coaching.”
He continued: “I was in awe of him [as a child]. I watched him win Wimbledon, watched him win the Olympics, so many moments that will stay with me forever and were just crazy inspiring. I got his advice and opinions on my game when I was coming up playing and he was always very honest with me.
“Then, after Covid, he had his hip injury, we spent a lot of time together, and I got to know him on a personal level. I’m kind of at a point where I’m having to restart again, and to have him come in and help me during this moment means a lot. And it’s not only going to help develop my game, it will give me a lift as well, as someone who’s a big part of the reason why I wanted to become a tennis player.”
Then, asked to describe him as a coach, Draper added: “He’s a bit calmer than I am, which is weird when you think about it.
“He’s quite analytical, quite technical. Our personalities are maybe a bit different. For instance, after his career, he’s chosen to play golf. I just couldn’t do it. I’d be out there for nine holes and my brain would be on other things. He’s always been very good at focusing on the task. But I don’t think the way we see tennis is different.”
When was Jack Draper’s last tennis match?
It has been just shy of ten weeks since we last saw Draper take to the tennis court, where he was forced to retire midway through his Barcelona Open match against Tomás Martín Etcheverry.
There, he had impressed against a solid clay-courter, winning the opening set before failing physically.
It had even been nearly a month between this match and his last, representing a hugely stunted season with multiple lengthy lay-offs.
The hope is that now he can finally return to start playing with some regularity, having been drawn to face Brandon Nakashima in his return match.
Who is to blame for Jack Draper’s injury issues?
The American is coming off the back of a run to the Queen’s semi-final, representing both his good form but the potential for fatigue.
All Draper will want is a solid performance and to finish the match healthy.
