Andy Murray is back at the Washington Open, but instead of competing, the three-time Grand Slam champion is courtside coaching Jack Draper, who received a wildcard to enter the ATP 500 event on the hardcourts of the American capital.
The partnership between the two British players began during the grass court swing, most notably at Eastbourne, where Draper reached the semifinals under Murray's guidance. When Draper was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon shortly after, many assumed the coaching arrangement had run its course. Their continued collaboration in Washington suggests otherwise.
Draper arrives ranked 147th in the world, meaning wildcards and qualifying routes will define much of his North American hardcourt summer. A deep run in Washington could also strengthen his case for a US Open wildcard, particularly meaningful given he previously reached the semifinals at Flushing Meadows before injuries derailed his ranking climb.
For Murray, there is an intriguing subplot. Despite a glittering career that included three Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold, Washington was never a happy hunting ground for the Scot. His overall record at the event finished at just 8 wins and 5 losses across five appearances spanning 2006 to 2023. He did reach the final on his debut in 2006, beating Feliciano Lopez, Mardy Fish, and Dmitry Tursunov before losing to Arnaud Clement. But subsequent visits brought early exits, including a first-round defeat to Mikael Ymer in 2022 and a third-round loss to Taylor Fritz in 2023. That 61.54 percent win rate is reportedly worse than his record at any North American hardcourt Masters event.
Now Murray returns hoping Draper can achieve what he never quite managed. TennisDraw users picking deep Draper runs this week will be watching this partnership very closely.
