Jack Draper Withdraws from Queen’s Club, Eyes Eastbourne Return with Andy Murray as Coach

British tennis number one Jack Draper has confirmed another delay to his return from injury, withdrawing from next week’s Queen’s Club Championships and targeting the Eastbourne International, beginning 22 June, as his comeback event.

Draper has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open in April. The setback forced him to miss the clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome, the French Open, and — according to reports — a potential appearance at the Stuttgart Open, an ATP 250 event, earlier this week.

In a statement addressing his recovery timeline, Draper said: “Recovery is going in the right direction, but I’m going to give myself one more week and aim to return at Eastbourne. Very hard to miss one of my favourite events of the year.”

The Queen’s Club Championships, an ATP 500 event held in London, had been earmarked as his initial target upon returning to grass. His withdrawal means he has now missed every major tournament since Barcelona, a run spanning nearly two months.

Eastbourne’s timing carries added significance. The Eastbourne International serves as the final lead-up event before Wimbledon, meaning Draper will have limited competitive preparation ahead of the Grand Slam should his return proceed as planned.

The 24-year-old’s comeback will also mark his first competitive appearance working alongside three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray, who Draper confirmed last month would be joining his coaching setup for the grass-court season. Murray, who retired from professional tennis in 2024, has transitioned into a coaching role, with Draper’s campaign representing his first formal assignment in that capacity.

Former British number one Laura Robson offered a measured assessment of the Murray-Draper partnership when speaking to Sky Sports, acknowledging both the potential benefits and added pressures of the arrangement.

“In some way it’s really beneficial that Andy’s in his corner but in other ways it’s more pressure as well,” said Robson, a former world number 27. “I don’t know which way I’m leaning towards still because there’s going to be so much attention now on that first match back, wherever it may be.”

Robson also highlighted the broader context of Draper’s injury struggles. “That probably isn’t going to feel great, considering he’s not played a lot of tennis. It’s been a tough time with injuries over the last almost a year now. To know, going in, that you’re expected by pretty much everyone to be playing well probably adds another layer to it but I haven’t quite decided which way I’m leaning there yet.”

Draper reached a career-high ranking of world number four before his injury difficulties mounted. His prolonged absence will see him drop points in the ATP rankings, with the grass-court and Wimbledon period now critical to any push back toward the top of the standings. The Eastbourne International and Wimbledon together represent his most realistic opportunities to rebuild ranking points before the hardcourt swing later in the summer.