Jack Draper vs Marcos Giron LIVE
Jack Draper made an encouraging start to his latest injury comeback by beating lucky loser Marcos Giron in straight sets in the first round of the Lexus Eastbourne Open. With new coach Andy Murray watching from a courtside box on a sweltering day at Devonshire Park, former world number four Draper progressed 6-4 7-6 (5) in an hour and 25 minutes.
He showed no obvious fitness concerns during a solid display to set up all-British encounter against Jack Pinnington Jones in the last 16 of the Wimbledon warm-up event. Draper has enlisted the support of three-time grand slam champion Murray for the grass court swing after being plagued by chronic arm and knee injuries during the past year, in addition to a recent shoulder problem.
The 24-year-old, who has plummeted to 160 in the rankings, declared himself to be in a “very good place” ahead of his first competitive outing since retiring injured in the last 32 of the Barcelona Open on April 13.
Jack Draper vs Marcos Giron latest updates
- SET! Draper breaks late
- Draper recent results
- 'Watching your decline': Draper reflects on injury hell
- Why is Murray coaching Draper?
Draper secures first win in months ahead of Wimbledon
16:26 , Oli Gent
Jack Draper made his much-anticipated return to tennis with a less-than-comfortable 6-4 7-6(5) victory over Marcos Giron at the Eastbourne Open.
Draper, now the world No160 after a year plagued by injury and illness, had decided last minute to play the ATP 250 event, having not featured on the tour since handing Tomas Etcheverry a walkover in the first round of the Barcelona Open.
Draper 6-4 7-6(5) Giron
15:46 , Oli Gent
A mixed display, but he’s back, and safely through. Off to a winning start.
Thanks for joining us on Standard Sport, be sure to come back very soon for even more LIVE action!
Game, set, and match! Draper 6-4 7-6(5) Giron
15:45 , Oli Gent
That’s it! A final forehand winner does it! He’s through to the second round.
*Draper 6-4 6-6 (6-5) Giron
15:44 , Oli Gent
That is beautiful from Giron, from one corner to the other in the blink of an eye. He really has nothing to lose here, and that is showing in his swing.
5-5, but finally, we have match point, as a Draper shot dies on the American, and the Brit puts away the forehand!
Draper 6-4 6-6 (5-4) Giron*
15:43 , Oli Gent
Draper finally puts it away after some staunch defence from the American at the back of the court and at the net, and the backhand pass finally gets through. He’s up after Giron slams a forehand long. Two points away.
*Draper 6-4 6-6 (3-4) Giron
15:42 , Oli Gent
He breaks back, with a ding-dong exchange at the net, with a superb half-volley backhand pass! But Giron is back in charge, whipping a forehand winner down the line. Still on serve.
Draper 6-4 6-6 (2-3) Giron*
15:40 , Oli Gent
That’s a bad miss from the Brit as he looks to wrongfoot Giron with a backhand follow-up, but he goes wide with it. A mini-break to the American, before the serve reprieves him.
*Draper 6-4 6-6 (1-2) Giron
15:39 , Oli Gent
An impressive response from Giron as he crashes down another good serve, and he’s up with another excellent delivery, before scurrying to the net to flick over a dropshot winner.
Draper 6-4 6-6 (1-0) Giron*
15:38 , Oli Gent
Glorious start to the breaker for Draper with another deft dropshot. That’s really been working for him today.
Tiebreak! Draper 6-4 6-6 Giron
15:37 , Oli Gent
Final chance before the tiebreak to wrap this up.
A great serve down the middle from Giron as the Briton sprawling, but he finds the gap down the line to rip a forehand winner. 15-15.
He gets a lasso forehand all wrong as the ball kicks up nastily at him, and Draper gestures angrily.
A Giron double fault gives him a real opportunity at 30-30, but the American responds well once more with an ace down the T.
However, it’s the Brit’s turn to get the crowd going, flashing a forehand winner to take us to deuce.
He’s overzealous on the return, though, taking it too early and powering it far too long.
But it’s Giron in the ascendancy, with the one-two punch to force the breaker!
Draper 6-4 6-5 Giron*
15:31 , Oli Gent
Great net play from Draper as the surprise approach works wonders against what looked to be a dangerous pass attempt. Rightfully gets a ripple of applause.
He sighs loudly after a routine miss for 15-15, and the grunt for every shot is just getting that bit louder now. The dropshot works a charm - that’s not come out in a while - and it’s 30-15.
Giron spins a forehand line winner attempt into the tramlines, and Draper has two game points.
He misses the first with a forehand into the net, but converts the second with an accurate serve into the backhand corner. One game away once more.
Draper 6-4 5-5 Giron
15:28 , Oli Gent
Right then. What’s he made of under Andy?
Giron is riding the crest of a wave with an immediate ace off the bat, and it’s an unideal start.
Draper just falls out of a backhand to send it into the tape for 30-0, but Giron gets a backhand wrong hmiself with the wind, and it has the Briton back in it.
30-15 quickly becomes 40-15 with an accurate kick serve to the corner, and the American flashes down another boomer to hold and move level.
Break! Draper 6-4 5-4 Giron*
15:25 , Oli Gent
Not the best of starts as he shanks a forehand long, leaning back while taking it on the rise. A bit of rustiness there for Murray to iron out.
Another mistake as he sends the approach shot into the tramlines, and suddenly it’s 0-30 and there’s concern in the crowd.
“Come on, come on,” he tells himself.
Giron is hitting freely, however, spanking an inside-out forehand that Draper can’t get to.
0-40, as the breeze picks up... and Draper slips at the crucial moment! He’s broken back !
*Draper 6-4 5-3 Giron
15:22 , Oli Gent
He’s in full flow now, but the kick on the Giron serve catches Draper out and disrupts the rhythm.
A double fault is a bad miss, but Draper nets a simple ball and it’s 30-15. He tries to loop a forehand back into play, but can only find the tape.
A ballooned return long gives the American the hold.
Draper 6-4 5-2 Giron*
15:19 , Oli Gent
A kicker wide makes it the perfect follow-up, and he’s really looking for some gusto on his deliveries now, as shown by a smashing ace for 30-0.
A third down the T has Giron desperately reaching, but he can only watch in despair as it lands long.
A love hold with a splendid backhand winner cross-court. One game away.
Break! *Draper 6-4 4-2 Giron
15:17 , Oli Gent
Midway through the second and Giron sends a forehand long in a good start to the seventh for Draper.
The American nets another forehand on the run, and there’s a big chance here at 0-30 for a decisive break.
Murray nods his encouragement behind the sunglasses courtside.
Giron, off-balance, sends another forehand into the net, and there’s three big break points here.
He spurns the first, missing the return... but he takes the second, in forituitous fashion, with his stretched forehand clipping the net cord at the last!
Draper 6-4 3-2 Giron*
15:12 , Oli Gent
That’s superb from Draper with his own one-two serve-winner punch.
He whips an ace down the middle for 30-0,and he races into a 40-0 lead with another T rocket.
Giron thwarts him en route to the love hold with superb depth on the forehand side, but the smash putaway is perfect from the home favourite. A good hold.
*Draper 6-4 2-2 Giron
15:10 , Oli Gent
A Giron volley dies on Draper just shy of the baseline and he can’t crane enough to spoon it back in play.
The American blazes one wide for 15-15, and Draper begins to dictate with his leftie forehand, switching direction with ease before powering a backhand pass through the court.
Giron responds well with a vicious wide serve for 30-30, and another down the T has the Briton scrambling.
Game point, which he can’t convert, with the spin off Draper’s forehand side too much to deal with, palming into the net.
Deuce, which Giron crashes an ace down the middle to.
A Draper backhand into the tramlines gives the lucky loser a reprieve.
Draper 6-4 2-1 Giron*
15:04 , Oli Gent
That’s really nice from Draper. Dragging his opponent this way and that, stepping into the court and forcing a forehand winner into the corner. 15-0.
He puts away the smash with the sun in his eyes for 40-, and he closes out a simple love-hold with a curling cross-court forehand.
*Draper 6-4 1-1 Giron
15:03 , Oli Gent
What a start that is for the returning home hero as he flashes a forehand line winner round the corner for 0-15 to punish a slow Giron second serve.
That’s not quite as good as he spanks another forehand long on the full volley, and he’s annoyed at himself again.
The service return turns the game in Giron’s favour, but the Briton is back in control as he takes charge of the baseline exchange for 30-30.
Draper loops a wayward forehand into the tramlines and cedes the game. 1-1.
Draper 6-4 1-0 Giron*
15:00 , Oli Gent
A strong start to the second as Giron powers a strong return at Draper’s feet. It’s the Briton’s turn to respond with a big forehand of his own for 15-15, and he misses a putaway on top of the net for 15-30.
He cracks an ace down the T with Giron nowhere near it to level, and he sees out the game with a kick serve out wide and another to the body.
Set! Draper 6-4 Giron
14:55 , Oli Gent
A big game this as we get to the business end of the first set.
Great depth from Draper on the return to open proceedings, but he nets a routine ball and Giron lasers a wide serve to the backhand which Draper can’t live with.
A let on the second serve gives the Briton a chance, and Giron nets a simple forehand for 30-30. A real opportunity here.
‘Let’s go, mate,’ says Murray from courtside
Giron sends another backhand long, and we have set point, which Giron saves with a one-two punch.
Draper nets the return at deuce for game point, and he’s upset with himself for missing that. The first bit of anger we’ve seen from him.
But that is superh, directing the backhand winner down the line for deuce!
He gees himself up once more, and Giron nets a forehand.
Set point No2, and Giron double faults!
Draper 5-4 Giron*
14:48 , Oli Gent
A huge T serve brings up a quick 30-0 for Draper, who is keen to up the tempo.
Another down the middle has Giron scrambling, and he goes in for the sitdown with an ace.
Good serving. Murray’s loving it.
*Draper 4-4 Giron
14:47 , Oli Gent
An inside-out forehand from Giron kisses the net cord on its way through for a winner to open the new balls up. Draper does well to initially react to the body serve, but nets a forehand after a brief exchange for 30-0.
He whips an aggressive backhand return in the Giron backhand corner as the American slices long to give the Briton a way into this game.
He fires a wide serve to the Draper forehand, which the Briton can only send long, and he wraps up the hold with the one-two punch, wrongfooting Murray’s man.
The coach offers some applause in encouragement.
Draper 4-3 Giron*
14:41 , Oli Gent
A ballboy slips after Draper’s first serve hits the net and the crowd, and the British No3, go ‘oooh’.
It skews Draper’s focus somewhat as he spoons a forehand long for 0-15, but that dropshot is working wonders. 15-15.
A big T serve has him up 30-15, and he gets great depth off both wings to win the next point, ending with a flourish as he powers a forehand line winner home.
Giron’s sliced return lands long, and the Brit is ahead again.
*Draper 3-3 Giron
14:38 , Oli Gent
A strong start from Giron with a whipped forehand that is too hot for Draper to handle. An accurate first serve sees the Brit overcook a forehand return for 30-0, and the wide serve and backhand winner combo has him up three game points.
Draper nets a forehand on the run to cede the love hold.
Draper 3-2 Giron*
14:34 , Oli Gent
Really nice variety from Draper with the big serve and dropshot winner to set the tempo.
He goes just wide going for the forehand line winner for 15-15, and he nets a sloppy forehand to add a bit of jeopardy to the game. 15-30.
He cracks a wide serve to the backhand which Giron deflects off target, and he sets up game point with a pinpoint ace to the forehand side.
A delicate backhand dropshot sees him safely to the chair ahead.
*Draper 2-2 Giron
14:31 , Oli Gent
On serve as the players re-ermerge into the sweltering Sussex sun.
Giron aims for the backhand wing with an accurate delivery into the corner which Draper sends long, and he then aces the Brit with another laser for 30-0.
He’s off-target with the next down the T, and doubles for 30-15.
The first baseline exchange of the game occurs as the two fire forehands at each other, with an inside-out strike from Giron enough for Draper to force it out of play.
The American slips while Draper returns the following point, but fortunately for him, it’s wide of the target.
Draper 2-1 Giron*
14:28 , Oli Gent
The Briton racesinto a 40-0 ascendancy with some huge serving, and he’s into the second changeover ahead with another booming delivery that the American palms into the net.
Draper* 1-1 Giron
14:27 , Alex Young
Giron on serve for the first time and quickly back on terms. After taking the first point, Draper shows some rustiness to let his opponent back in, hitting long to hand Giron the game.
Draper 1-0 Giron*
14:22 , Alex Young
A very confident start from the British no3, who kicks things off with an ace and holds his serve to 15 with little fuss.
Here we go
14:21 , Alex Young
Draper will get us underway, serving first.
Draper up next!
14:15 , Oli Gent
The main event is on next... here we go!
Pinnington Jones is through!
14:07 , Oli Gent
The British wildcard comes from behind and wins through into the second round!
5-7 6-3 7-5 it finishes.
Draper on his injury...
14:00 , Oli Gent
"I'm so happy to be back at a tournament, my body is feeling good"
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) June 21, 2026
Jack Draper on his return to action after recovering from a knee injury 🎾 pic.twitter.com/G1PlJscdWR
Pinnington Jones breaks back!
13:51 , Oli Gent
Trungelliti serves for the match... but the Briton is back on serve! 5-5 in the decider.
What exactly was Draper's injury?
13:40 , Oli Gent
Speaking to reporters ahead of his comeback at Eastbourne yesterday, Draper detailed the timeline of his torrid year with injuries, dating back to the Madrid Masters back in April 2025.
“I felt my arm in Madrid last year,” he said.
“I was feeling that all through Wimbledon. After Wimbledon, I got a scan and it was bad bone bruising. I tried to come back for the US Open, but it was still quite sore. From there, I hit a point where it wasn’t improving for months. I couldn’t get up to 100% on my serve. I just kept on having setbacks.
“The bone is so tough, because even though it was healing, it just couldn’t withstand the demands of the way I play, with my serve and forehand. It goes into your elbow, it goes into your biceps. I had bicep tendonitis.
“I wasn’t ready for Australia. Tried to come back, obviously, with the Davis Cup.
“It felt like it was getting better with all the things I was doing off the court as well. I got to Barcelona, I had been dealing with a bit of knee tendinitis for a long time.
“When I came back, I tried to be explosive again, and get back to where I wanted to be, but I couldn’t really land on my serve anymore. Like [my knee] was extremely inflamed. I had a couple of holes in the tendon.
“I got to the point after Barcelona, where I had gone through so much with my arm, and I’d been playing in pain for a long time, and having two sort of chronic issues, which are extremely painful, and it was just too much.
“You know, I couldn’t be the player I wanted to be out there, like I was sort of 30% of what I could do.”
Draper reflects on new Murray relationship
13:32 , Oli Gent
Two former British No1s have joined forces ahead of Wimbledon. Can Murray propel the returning hero back to the top table of the men’s game?
"He believes in me and my tennis"
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) June 21, 2026
Jack Draper explains why working with Andy Murray has given him added confidence ahead of his return to action 💪 pic.twitter.com/lfyVhqjjOa
Klugman is level!
13:25 , Oli Gent
Over on Court 1, Hannah Klugman has battled back to one set apiece against Valentova, taking the second 7-5.
Can she continue that momentum in the decider?
How much chance does Draper have at Wimbledon?
13:17 , Oli Gent
Today’s match will be a good litmus test to see where he’s at.
I watched him hitting with Zizou Bergs, who he handed a walkover to at the US Open last year, and he didn’t look great in the practice points they played.
Murray was in his ear, offering feedback and constructive criticism, and the two-time Wimbledon champion will do the same from the players’ box today.
His chances at the All England Club next week will be very much draw dependent, but since he is not seeded, he is at risk of facing one of the big names in the first round.
Which other Brits are in action today?
13:10 , Oli Gent
Francesca Jones, who was born with three fingers on each hand and seven toes, follows Draper on Centre Court, as she faces third seed Jelena Ostapenko.
Choinski, who beat Draper’s opponent Giron in qualifying, will face Alexei Popyrin on Court 1.
On Court 1...
13:00 , Oli Gent
In this episode of Britwatch, we turn our attentions to 17-year-old Hannah Klugman, who is involved in a second-set battle with the Czech Tereza Valentova. She dropped the first set 7-5, but it is even at 4-4 in the second as the teenager tries to force a decider.
On Centre Court...
12:54 , Oli Gent
Jack Pinnington Jones, the British wildcard, is up first on Centre, and locked in a tussle with Marco Trungelliti.
He dropped the first set 7-5, but is on course to level proceedings, up 5-2 in the second.
Who is Draper's opponent?
12:45 , Oli Gent
Draper faces American lucky loser Marcos Giron this afternoon, after the world No86 was placed into the main draw on Monday morning following fifth seed Brandon Nakashima’s late withdrawal.
Nakashima, the world No31, pulled out with a back injury, and Giron, who was beaten by Jan Choinski, Draper’s compatriot, 7-5 6-7(2) 7-6(5) in the final round of qualifying, will face the British No3 on Centre Court instead.
Draper reveals key lesson from 'very special' Murray relationship
12:37 , Oli Gent
Jack Draper has revealed the key things that Sir Andy Murray has brought to his game since the former Wimbledon champion took over as his coach.
British tennis past and present have joined forces ahead of Draper’s comeback tournament at Eastbourne this week, with Murray casting a watchful eye over the now world No160, who is making his first appearance on the tour since pulling out of the Barcelona Open back in April.
Why is Murray coaching Draper?
12:30 , Oli Gent
Honestly? We’re not too sure.
The three-time Grand Slam champion made a high-profile first step into his non-playing career by coaching Novak Djokovic, but that partnership ended back in May after a poor run of results for the Serb.
Murray insisted that he would not rush back into coaching, but has now joined forces with British men’s tennis’ leading light, as he eyes a statement return at his home Slam.
'Watching your decline': Draper opens up on injury hell
12:22 , Oli Gent
Jack Draper has admitted that he struggled “watching your decline” as he opened up on his year of injury hell.
The Briton, who has fallen to world No160 in the ATP rankings at the time of publication, is preparing to make yet another comeback to the tour after over 12 months of continued setbacks.
He first struggled with an arm injury picked up at the Madrid Masters last year but played through the pain barrier at Wimbledon and the US Open before curtailing his season prematurely ahead of his second-round encounter with Zizou Bergs at Flushing Meadows.
That, as well as a long-running case of tendonitis in his knee, has seen him try to return to the top table several times before suffering more disappointments.
Draper recent results
12:15 , Oli Gent
Draper made his first comeback of 2025 at the Dubai Open, beating Quentin Halys in the first round before being knocked out by Arthur Rinderknech in the second in straight sets.
He had a resurgence as he defended his Indian Wells title, stunning Novak Djokovic in the last 16 before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the last eight.
At Miami a week later, he was shocked by home favourite Reilly Opelka, who eliminated him in two sets, before his most recent match at the Barcelona Open, where he was forced to hand Tomas Etcheverry a first-round walkover as he struggled once more with injury.
How to watch
12:07 , Oli Gent
Live stream: You can watch the Eastbourne Open for free on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with a valid TV licence.
Hello and welcome!
12:00 , Oli Gent
... to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Jack Draper’s comeback match against Marcos Giron at the Eastbourne Open.
The now-British No3 has endured a torrid year of injuries, but now, with just a week before Wimbledon, he attempts to come back once more.
Stay tuned for all the updates, with the match set to start at around 12.30pm BST.
