Andy Murray will return to professional tennis as part of Jack Draper’s coaching staff during the grass-court season, following Draper’s split with his former coach Jamie Delgado.
“I am very grateful for everything Jamie Delgado has done for me over these past six months,” Draper said in a statement. “He is a world-class coach and a great man. In the interim, I will continue to be supported by the excellent team at the LTA, with the addition of Andy Murray, who will be supporting me throughout the grass-court season.”
Many within British tennis viewed this partnership as inevitable. Draper, who grew up idolizing Murray, has long considered the two-time Wimbledon champion a mentor, and the pair have developed a close friendship over the years. They are also well-acquainted with each other’s game, having trained and competed together as teammates in the Olympics and Davis Cup. Their only ATP Tour meeting came at Indian Wells in 2023, where Draper prevailed.
Draper reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 last year, but his progress has been hampered by a series of significant injuries. A bone bruise on his left arm sidelined him for roughly seven months, and a knee injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April forced him to withdraw from the entire clay-court season, including the French Open. The 24-year-old is scheduled to return at the start of the grass-court season, a surface where he struggled in 2023 despite strong results elsewhere. He has never advanced past the second round at Wimbledon, while Murray is widely regarded as one of the finest grass-court players of the 21st century, having won the men’s singles title in 2013 and 2016.
This marks Murray’s second coaching role since retiring from professional tennis in 2024. He previously spent a six-month stint with Novak Djokovic, his longtime rival, in the first half of last year. Since retiring, Murray has also spent much of his time playing golf.
Draper and Delgado, who also previously coached Murray, began working together last December while Draper recovered from his arm issue. Due to Draper’s ongoing injuries, the two only linked up at four ATP tournaments this year.