Jack Draper rediscovered the feel of competition and, above all, the taste of victory. Absent from the tour for the past two months, the British made a fairly convincing return on Monday as he beat Marcos Giron in straight sets (6-4, 7-6) in the first round of the ATP 250 event in Eastbourne. Just days before Wimbledon, the win comes as a welcome relief for the former world No. 4, who has been held back by injuries for several months and is finally back on grass. It also marked the first official match of his new partnership with Andy Murray, who was in his player box for the occasion.
A winning return in his long-awaited comeback
The British left-hander had not played a match since April, having been stopped by another physical setback in what had already been a heavily disrupted 2026 season. His comeback, initially hoped for earlier in the grass-court swing, was first delayed ahead of Halle and then pushed back again before Queen’s. Eastbourne therefore represented his final opportunity before Wimbledon, and above all a full-scale test on a surface that should allow him to quickly regain his bearings.
In that context, the priority was simple: to be able to back up physically, come through the match well, and rediscover his match rhythm. On that front, Draper delivered. Up against Marcos Giron, an experienced tour player, even if his current level is slightly below what it was two seasons ago, the Brit produced a serious, disciplined and broadly reassuring performance. He took the opening set 6-4 before having to work harder in a more uneven second set, which he eventually sealed in a tie-break (7-6 [5]).
The scoreline, in truth, tells the story of his return rather well. Draper did not control everything, which was to be expected after such a lengthy absence, but he showed enough quality to impose his left-handed game, his power on serve and his ability to take the ball early. He even described it himself as an “ugly win”, clearly not entirely satisfied with the level of his display, as illustrated by the moment he was broken while serving for the match in the second set.
The victory also marked the official start of his partnership with Andy Murray for the grass-court season. The new duo will be back in action as early as tomorrow, with Draper set to face fellow Brit Jack Pinnington Jones in the last 16 on Wednesday. It is a match-up that guarantees another British player in the quarter-finals, while also giving Draper the chance to continue his return to competition against another opponent who, on paper at least, appears within his reach.
