In one of the most surprising pairings of 2026, former World No. 1 Andy Murray is all set to coach Jack Draper through the upcoming grass season. A lifelong idol and mentor of Draper, Murray joins his camp as the leading coaching voice after the player parted ways with Jaime Delgado amid an injury-riddled 2026 campaign so far.
This will be the first coaching job for the three-time Major champion in over a year, and just his second overall after he famously coached Novak Djokovic in a partnership that lasted just under six months, from the end of 2024 to the first half of 2025.
Murray Gets Another Shot at Coaching
Although the historic pair, famously known for their battles on court during their careers, failed to win a title during their partnership, Djokovic did manage to defeat Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open during their run, which ended in the semifinals due to injury.
Late last year, Murray opened up about how he was “disappointed” that the pairing did not last longer and failed to yield any titles, with their best tournament result being a finals run in Miami, which ended in a straight-sets defeat. Now, just a year later, Murray gets another bite at the coaching apple, this time with his protege, Draper.
Jack Draper’s Injury Struggles
After having the best start to a season in his career in 2025, which saw him break into the top five of the rankings and win a big title, Draper’s momentum was severely halted by long-term injuries. First, a left arm bone bruise kept him out for much of the second half of 2025. The issue also forced Draper into a slow start in 2026, as he had to miss the first Major of the year in Australia.
The Brit did return during the Davis Cup qualifiers and also took part in the Sunshine Double, where at Indian Wells he beat Djokovic en route to a quarterfinal run. But soon after the Sunshine Swing, Draper again picked up a knee issue that delayed his clay season.
He tried to come back in Barcelona, but a mid-match retirement in the first round soon signaled the end of his clay swing as well, as he announced he would be out of competition until the grass season due to the injury.
Draper Announces Murray Partnership
To kick off his grass swing this year, Draper announced that Murray will coach him, replacing Jaime Delgado, who had only joined Draper’s team ahead of the 2026 season. In parting ways with Delgado, who himself was a former coach of Murray, Draper said:
“I am very grateful for everything Jamie Delgado has done for me over these past six months. 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.”
While Draper and Murray have not announced this as a permanent partnership, but rather an interim role for Murray, the pair will likely be together for the entirety of the grass swing. Draper is expected to begin his return at the Stuttgart Open before heading to Queen’s, a tournament Murray has won five times, and where the center court is named after him, before Wimbledon follows.
But no matter what happens on the court, this partnership will undoubtedly be one of the biggest storylines of the grass season, with arguably nobody more excited than Draper himself to have his lifelong idol and former Davis Cup teammate in his corner during such a pivotal stage of his career.
Main Photo Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
