The Andy Murray effect? Returning Jack Draper swats aside Gabriel Diallo with ease to reach Eastbourne semi-finals
ATPThursday, 25 June 2026 at 17:21
A real warm sight for fans of British tennis is the brilliance that Jack Draper is putting on this week at the Eastbourne Open as he thrashed Gabriel Diallo to reach the semi-finals of the tournament on the South Coast.
The chips were weighted towards the Brit right from the start as hilariously he walked on to 500 Miles by The Proclaimers which is hilarious as he sung it in the car with Andy Murray in a viral clip which saw the legendary Scot flipping him off as he sang loudly in the car captioning that he had to spend hours with him in the car while this hilarity ensued.
Well not for Murray, but for those who found it funny it was. Ironically too of course a certain Andy Murray is in attendance this week. Draper since winning Indian Wells and finding himself become one of the tennis elite went back to suffering with crippling injuries and from being at his highest peak, he now has to rise again.
But perhaps the lesser pressure going into Wimbledon this year might help him. Last year despite him not being 100%, he was the poster boy of British tennis as a whole. Raducanu had been showing signs but had been dogged by injuries also and form issues. While Katie Boulter also wasn't at her best. Ironically though it was Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie back then who were the ones to rise.
Which was thus as both are very much consistent for not being as lauded by the contemporaries and perhaps weren't the ones that Wimbledon wanted to push. But had to. Draper though as a result has freedom this week especially before next week to get matches under his belt and confidence.
Earlier this week, he won his first match since March in what has been a stop start return. The 24-year-old is now working with coach Andy Murray during the grass court season and this effect is a positive one.
Murray himself though perhaps is one that is a subject to change coach as he has even said this week that he prefers being at home amid launching a YouTube channel with his brother Jamie and isn't sure about his coaching future right now.
But likely with only really the UK and US Hard Court swings to come this season apart from perhaps Asia at the end of the year, Murray will review the situation and if he is having sizable impact, he might be swayed.
Is Murray the answer?
Could we get all Brit final?
But Draper was emphatic on the grass. A surface that he has made his own previously when he famously beat Alcaraz at Queen's a few years ago so he has pedigree on it and he swatted aside Diallo 6-1, 6-4 winning seven games in a row and served out both sets exqusitely.
Who does he play next? Quentin Halys or Ugo Humbert and then it would be Zizou Bergs or Toby Samuel, the real rising star of the week who managed to squeeze past Juan Manuel Cerundolo to seal his spot. An all Brit final? or even one with the entertaining Belgian final could prove to be a great end to the week for Eastbourne storyline wise.
Overall though it is a good sight for British tennis to have one of their best hopes fit and firing again ahead of the biggest fortnight in the country all year for tennis.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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