Andy Murray: Coaching Jack Draper, two-time Wimbledon champion on Serena Williams comeback and busy retirement

It never looked like Murray would be away from tennis for long – but his planned return to the All England Club with Draper this summer is still a surprise.

The 39-year-old has been enjoying life outside tennis for 18 months since he stopped coaching old rival Novak Djokovic, spending time with wife Kim and their four children as well as honing his golf game and diversifying his business interests.

In April, Murray said he was not ready to return to coaching. A month later, Draper announced that he was He brought his childhood idol to his team.

Scott has long been a 24-year-old and an unofficial mentor off the court – someone who can forget his angry driver role. Draper sang on their car ride home, outsider from winning the Davis Cup in 2023 – but the timing of their partnership was unpredictable.

So what changes for Murray?

“After I stopped working with Novak, I had a lot of opportunities to coach again,” he explained.

“I had no interest in being on the streets and away from my family.

“It wasn’t that I disliked coaching – I didn’t enjoy it more than being at home with my family.

“When Jack asked me, I thought about it, talked to my wife and told Jack I wanted to help him.”

Murray is essentially playing the role of a ‘super-coach’ – similar to his dynamic with eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl, who helped him win all three of his Grand Slam titles.

For the past few weeks, Draper and Murray have been working out on the practice courts at the National Tennis Center in London as Draper recovers from further fitness issues.

Former world number four Draper has lost his place at the top of the men’s game after a string of injuries over the past year, but His latest comeback kicks off at Eastbourne this week To prove his fitness at Wimbledon.

Murray – who also experienced physical problems in the early part of his career – hopes the partnership will be a long-term venture.

“I think Jack is a brilliant player. There’s no doubt that when he gets back on the court he will perform well and win matches at the highest level,” Murray said.

“But the focus at the moment is trying to get him back into competition consistently.”