Draper to return at Eastbourne with new coach Murray
· Yahoo Sports
Britain's Jack Draper will make his long-awaited return from injury at Eastbourne next week - and he will be watched by new coach Andy Murray.
The 24-year-old has not played competitively since early April and needs match practice before Wimbledon starts on 29 June.
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After withdrawing from Queen's last week, Draper now feels ready to play at Eastbourne and prove his fitness before the Championships begin.
Eastbourne will be Draper's first tournament under the guidance of Murray, who was brought into the 2024 US Open semi-finalist's team last month.
Former world number one Murray, speaking exclusively to BBC Sport this week, says he hopes to work with Draper on a long-term basis.
Draper had been with Murray's former coach Jamie Delgado before making a surprise announcement that the three-time Grand Slam singles champion would be "supporting" him over the grass-court season.
Asked if the partnership is a long-term project, 39-year-old Murray said: "I hope so.
"I think the number one priority for Jack and the team just now is getting him back on the match court, competing and gaining trust in his body again."
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu has opted not to play in Eastbourne, which starts on Monday.
The British women's number one reached the Queen's final last week, but the 23-year-old will continue her Wimbledon preparations on the practice courts next week.
Home players Arthur Fery, Jacob Fearnley, Jack Pinnington Jones, Francesca Jones, Alicia Dudeney and Hannah Klugman have been given wildcards for the combined ATP-WTA event.
Murray has 'no doubt' Draper can challenge the best
Long considered Murray's natural successor as Britain's leading man, Draper seemed to be developing into a genuine challenger to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the men's game.
In an 18-month period, Draper reached a Grand Slam semi-final, cracked the world's top five and won one of the biggest ATP tour titles at Indian Wells.
However, his progress has been derailed by further injury issues.
After missing almost seven months with bone bruising in his serving arm, the former world number four returned to the tour in February, but picked up a knee injury at the Barcelona Open at the start of April.
Draper has only played 11 matches in the past year and dropped out of the world's top 100 as a result.
Over the past few weeks he has been working with Murray on the practice courts at the National Tennis Centre in London and now feels ready to return to match action.
"I've been incredibly impressed with his tennis on the practice court. He's a super quick learner and a brilliant player as well," Murray said.
"[I have] no doubt that when he gets back on the match court he will perform well and win matches at the highest level.
"But right now the focus is on trying to get him back competing consistently again."
Analysis: To play or not to play before Wimbledon?
Playing Eastbourne is key to Draper's hopes of being ready for Wimbledon.
If Draper felt he was not fit enough for the ATP event - where matches are best-of-three sets - then it seemed inconceivable he would be physically ready for best-of-five at the All England Club.
Competing in the idyllic English seaside town was not guaranteed.
Sources have said Draper has been ripping his groundstrokes in practice sessions but it has also been suggested a shoulder problem has stopped him serving.
Draper has a long history of physical issues and needed to be extremely cautious with the bruised humerus in his serving arm in particular.
A lot of patience has been required over the past year and Draper would not be rushing back if he thought it would cause any more long-term damage.
While Draper desperately needs court time, Raducanu feels she does not.
Raducanu played five matches at Queen's - one fewer than she had played in the previous four months because a viral illness and its after-effects.
The 2021 US Open champion believes practising with coach Andrew Richardson, who guided her to that astonishing New York victory and was rehired last month, is more beneficial than match time before Wimbledon.