Britain’s Jack Draper said he channelled some of Andy Murray‘s trademark resilience as he marked his return from injury with a hard-fought victory at the Eastbourne Open.
The 24-year-old defeated American Marcos Giron 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in his first competitive match since April, having been sidelined for more than two months with a knee injury.
Murray partnership begins with a win
Draper recently joined forces with three-time Grand Slam champion Murray for the grass-court season, and the new coaching partnership enjoyed a winning start on the south coast.
Asked about having Murray in his coaching box, Draper joked that he had not yet addressed him as “Sir” despite the former world number one receiving a knighthood.
“I’m really grateful to Andy that he’s chosen to help me and wants to help me,” Draper said.
“Today was a performance a bit like what he used to do — winning ugly.”
The victory was Draper’s first since his memorable win over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells in March.
Strong start before second-set scare
Draper looked sharp from the outset, serving impressively and dropping just one point behind his first serve during the opening set.
The Briton appeared to be cruising towards victory when he moved a break ahead in the second set. However, while serving for the match at 5-4, he allowed Giron three break-back opportunities and the American levelled the set before forcing a tie-break.
Despite the setback, Draper remained composed and closed out the match in the tie-break to book a second-round meeting with fellow Briton Jack Pinnington Jones.
“I lost concentration, which can happen if you haven’t played for a while and you’re against a good player like Marcos,” Draper admitted.
Difficult year marked by injuries
The past year has been a frustrating one for Draper, who has battled arm, knee and shoulder problems and played only 12 matches during that period.
His injury troubles began after a breakthrough 2024 season that included a run to the US Open semi-finals and a career-high ranking of world number four.
As a result, Draper has slipped to 160th in the rankings and is now attempting to rebuild his momentum ahead of Wimbledon.
Murray remains a major inspiration
Draper said Murray’s belief in him has been particularly important during his comeback from a challenging period.
“Andy, truthfully, is one of my biggest inspirations,” Draper said.
“When I was younger I remember him playing all the big events and being there to watch him.
“He believes in my game, he believes in me as a person. That’s what I really need right now coming back from the year I have had.”
Pinnington Jones reached the next round after recovering from a set down to beat Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti earlier in the day.
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