Andy Murray confirms if he still plans to coach Jack Draper next year

Earlier this year, Andy Murray returned to coaching for the first time since his split with Novak Djokovic, joining compatriot Jack Draper's team.

Amid an injury-ridden season, Draper hired Murray ahead of the grass swing, with the two having their first tournament together at the Eastbourne Open. There, the 24-year-old Briton reached the semifinals before falling to Ugo Humbert.

But Draper's momentum was halted after he was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon with a recurring left-arm injury. He attempted a comeback during the North American swing, but suffered first-round exits in both Montreal and Cincinnati before officially announcing on social media that he won't play for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Andy Murray speaks about his future coaching Jack Draper

There was never any indication that Murray would be Draper's long-term coach when he initially joined his team in May. But now, the 39-year-old Scot has confirmed he intends to stay in the role next season.

"There's still plans to help him [Draper]," Murray told Sky Sports . "I don't know where that is. I'm not entirely sure because his ranking will have dropped. I don't know if he would get into Australia and potentially relying on wild cards and things like that, so we'll see.

"Hopefully he'll be back on the court training again soon and getting ready for the new season – it has been an interesting year. I've been doing a little bit of coaching, which I've enjoyed, but also Jack's had a few injuries and has been off the tour for quite a while, so I haven't been able to get into that quite as much as I would have liked.

"I do still enjoy coming and watching [tennis] a little bit, but I'm happy doing what I'm doing with my kids just now." Since retiring from tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Murray has had brief coaching stints with Djokovic and now Draper, but has admitted he is content being away from the sport.

Draper's ranking has plummeted to 155th in the world due to his injury struggles, after being as high as fourth last season. Outside of the Eastbourne Open, Draper's best result was a quarterfinal finish at the Indian Wells Open, where he picked up a win over Djokovic.

This season, Draper has featured at seven tour-level competitions, with a win-loss record of 8-7. His ranking means he will have to rely on receiving a wildcard to play in the main draw of the 2027 Australian Open, or come through qualifying.

His fall in the rankings also saw him lose British number one status, which now belongs to Wimbledon semifinalist Arthur Fery. There are now five British players on the ATP Tour ranked higher than Draper.