It never felt as though Murray would be away from tennis for long – but his planned return to the All England Club with Draper this summer is still a surprise.
The 39-year-old had been enjoying life outside tennis in the 18 months since he stopped coaching old rival Novak Djokovic, spending time with wife Kim and their four children as well as honing his golf game and diversifying his business interests.
In April, Murray said he was not ready to return to coaching. A month later, Draper announced he had brought his childhood idol into his team.
The Scot has long been an informal mentor to the 24-year-old on and off court – who could forget his role of grumpy driver as Draper sang in their car journey home, external from a Davis Cup win in 2023 – but the timing of their partnership was unexpected.
So what changed for Murray?
“After I stopped working with Novak, I had a number of opportunities to coach again,” he explained.
“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.”
Murray is essentially fulfilling the role of a ‘super-coach’ – similar to the dynamic he had with eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl, who helped him win his three Grand Slam titles.
Over the past few weeks, Draper and Murray have been working on the practice courts at the National Tennis Centre in London as Draper recovers from more fitness problems.
Former world number four Draper has lost his place at the top of the men’s game after a range of injuries over the past year, but starts his latest comeback at Eastbourne this week in a bid to prove his fitness for Wimbledon.
Murray – who also experienced physical issues in the first part of his career – hopes the partnership will be a long-term venture.
“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,” Murray said.
“But right now the focus is on trying to get him back competing consistently again.”
