Jack Draper returns at Eastbourne under Andy Murray's coaching guidance

Jack Draper’s return at Eastbourne will do more than settle whether his body is ready for grass. It will also show how much Andy Murray can change the outlook for Britain’s most watched men’s player in the final week before Wimbledon, which begins on 29 June 2026.

The 24-year-old is due back next week after pulling out of Queen’s Club, having not played competitively since early April. A knee injury at the Barcelona Open added to a season already disrupted by an arm bone bruise, leaving Draper with only 11 matches in the past year and a slide to 113th in the world rankings. Murray was brought in on 12 May as part of Draper’s coaching team for the grass-court season through Wimbledon, following Draper’s split with Jamie Delgado.

That partnership has already become a pressure point as much as a practical one. Murray, who spent six months coaching Novak Djokovic in 2024-25, has said he hopes the arrangement can grow into something longer-term, but the immediate task is straightforward: get Draper competing again and confident in his body. Tim Henman and Laura Robson have both said Murray’s presence could be hugely valuable, while warning that the added attention could bring its own strain.

There is reason to believe Eastbourne can tell something useful. Draper has strong grass-court credentials, having been a semi-finalist at Queen’s, a Stuttgart champion and an Eastbourne semi-finalist. He had wanted another week before aiming for Eastbourne and has described it as one of his favourite tournaments, which makes the timing significant rather than merely convenient. If he moves well and wins matches there, British hopes around Wimbledon will sharpen quickly; if he struggles, the tournament will look more like a rushed reset than a true launch point.

Emma Raducanu has taken a different path. The 23-year-old, now world No. 31 and British No. 1, reached the Queen’s final last week but has chosen to stay on the practice courts instead of taking an Eastbourne wildcard. She did accept a wildcard for Nottingham earlier in June, and her decision underlines how carefully the British players are balancing match play against recovery as Wimbledon approaches.

Eastbourne’s combined ATP-WTA draw will still carry a strong home presence. Wildcards have also gone to Arthur Fery, Jacob Fearnley, Jack Pinnington Jones, Francesca Jones, Alicia Dudeney and Hannah Klugman, adding to the scrutiny on a week that will shape the British conversation before Wimbledon even starts.