Britain's top tennis hope returns, determined to regain form before Wimbledon

Following Andy Murray, he stands as Britain's finest tennis talent and is anticipated to achieve great success - it's a shame that his development has been significantly impacted by injuries.

After months of battling injuries and constant disruptions to his competition schedule, British player Jack Draper is preparing for his much-anticipated comeback at the Eastbourne Open, a tournament regarded as a vital preparatory step before Wimbledon 2026.

Draper has not played since the Barcelona Open in April, where he was forced to retire in the first round due to injury. Since then, the 24-year-old has been completely absent from the clay court season, and Eastbourne will be his only grass court tournament before entering the third Grand Slam of the year.

Physical issues have severely affected the career of Britain's top tennis hope over the past year. After taking nearly six months off from the US Open until his return in Dubai early this season, he managed only four tournaments before suffering another injury. This has significantly stalled the progress of one of the world's brightest young tennis talents.

Draper is currently ranked 113th in the world and faces the risk of dropping further in the rankings if he does not regain form soon. Given the points he needs to defend after Wimbledon, the British player could even fall out of the top 200 if his results in the coming period are not as expected.

Nevertheless, Draper remains optimistic ahead of his return. Eastbourne also holds fond memories in his career. In 2022, at this tournament, Draper entered the ATP top 100 for the first time after impressive wins over Alexander Bublik and Diego Schwartzman.

"I've had to take a long break and have faced many difficulties over the past year. But I continue to work hard and I'm really excited to get back to competing.", Draper shared. "The most important thing now is that my body is healthy and ready to go on court. I will give my all as always.".

A notable point in the comeback journey of the 2025 Indian Wells champion is the involvement of British tennis legend Andy Murray in the coaching team. The former world number one is working alongside coach Jamie Delgado to help Draper regain his physical foundation and confidence after a long period of injury treatment.

"Andy has gone through countless injuries and difficulties in his career but always knows how to come back strong. He helps me understand that it's not about one or two tournaments, but about long-term progress.", Draper said.

Jack Draper's opponent in the opening match of the Eastbourne Open 2026 will be Vietnamese-American player Brandon Nakashima. The match between the two is scheduled for 18:30 on June 22, Vietnam time.