“Four years has been a great run”: Jack Draper splits with long-time coach James Trotman

Thursday, 16 October 2025 at 20:12

Jack Draper has separated from his long-term coach, James Trotman, shortly after adding a new coach to his team. The Brit—who ended his season prematurely due to injury—is once again making a movement in his coaching team, marking his definitive separation from Trotman.

The world No. 9 began working with Trotman at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton as part of the LTA's Elite Players support program. It was recently announced that Draper would hire Jamie Delgado—former coach of Andy Murray, who had separated from Grigor Dimitrov just weeks before.

Draper had been working with his compatriot Trotman since 2021, a period that was key to the left-hander's rise. Under Trotman's guidance, Draper secured his three ATP titles—including his first Masters 1000 in Indian Wells—in addition to reaching the US Open semifinals and achieving his career-high ranking of world No. 4.

Draper had a great first part of 2025, but injuries reappeared as in previous years. Since his second-round loss at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old star tried to return to the courts without success. He missed much of the North American hardcourt swing, rushed his return for the US Open, but suffered another injury relapse and ended up finishing his season.

Since the beginning of July, Draper has only played one match—a first-round victory at the US Open against Federico Agustín Gómez—but the good amount of points he earned in the first half of the year helps him stay among the best. Despite losing his top-5 spot, Draper maintains an honorable No. 9 ranking and has a good chance of finishing the year inside the top 10.

Trotman steps down to prioritize family life

Draper will have a major movement in his team heading into the 2026 season. Although Jamie Delgado's arrival to the team was confirmed, it was expected that he would take on a co-coach role alongside Trotman, who would remain the head coach, with Delgado accompanying Draper on many of his trips.

However, according to British journalist James Gray, there was ultimately a change of plans, and Trotman decided to prioritize his family life. As he has two children, the constant travel with Draper did not allow him to manage both commitments. This way, Delgado will take sole charge as the head coach, relieving Trotman after four successful seasons with Draper.

"I've made the decision that four years has been a great run," Trotman said to BBC Sport. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was getting increasingly difficult for me juggling the demands Jack deserves as the player that he is - and also being a father and a husband.

"I need to start to get those energy levels back up and have a little bit more normality - watch my son play football on a Sunday, go on some family holidays, have a bit more of a normal life."

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Trotman was working with Draper this same week, and despite recovering from an injury, Draper is already doing on-court work in anticipation of his return for the 2026 season. In fact, the 23-year-old Brit is already committed to playing in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, an exhibition tournament that will take place starting December 5 in London.

"My relationship with Jack is strong. We are extremely close," Trotman commented after the split. "We spent more time with each other than anybody else on the planet over the past four years. We are going to stay incredibly close and obviously I'll be following and supporting in any way I can from the sidelines."

Trotman himself endorsed Jamie Delgado as one of the best people to take charge of Draper from this moment on. "One of the few people we could have worked really well together with was Jamie," Trotman added. "I have a huge respect for him as a person and as a coach and the job that he has done with Gilles Muller, Andy [Murray] and more recently with Grigor [Dimitrov]."

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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