For a brief while in 2016, John McEnroe considered coaching Andy Murray. But the partnership never came to be as McEnroe believed their tempers would’ve clashed. But when the American legend learned that Murray would return to coaching, his response was something that caught everyone off guard.

After an unsuccessful six-month stint with Novak Djokovic in 2024, Andy Murray replaced Jamie Delgado as Jack Draper’s coach earlier this month and will be a part of the team for the upcoming grass swing.

The former 17-time Grand Slam champion has mostly had praise for Draper in the past and is very excited about his new partnership with Murray.

“Jack Draper, you’ve got to get him back. It’s been a nightmare year for him. I love that (partnership with Murray). I’m so into that. That’s going to be the talk of the town,” McEnroe said on TNT Sports.

The American feels that Murray’s latest coaching move makes more sense than his previous stint with Djokovic. He couldn’t really understand why the move happened in the first place and made a hilarious comparison to highlight what the partnership appeared to be.

“That really makes sense. The Novak thing (Murray’s partnership with Djokovic) was great to talk about. I couldn’t understand that at all. It’s like me calling Ivan Lendl and asking, ‘You wanna coach me?’ I don’t know about that,” he added.

The infamous Djokovic-Murray partnership lasted for six months between November 2024 and May 2025. It was Murray’s first coaching stint, and having recently retired, he wasn’t able to transition to a technical knowledge-sharing role. From injuries to poor form, Djokovic’s results didn’t help Murray’s cause as the pair decided to part ways mutually after half a year.

McEnroe was in the running to coach Murray after his split with Amélie Mauresmo. But, he “didn’t get a call from Andy,” as he told The Guardian. McEnroe believed their persona would’ve clashed on the court.

“I don’t think I would be able to handle that for too long. It might be a very short relationship. I understand that he may think that’s how he ticks, or whatever it is. Some of it is understandable, but other times it’s like, ‘come on.”

McEnroe revealed after Murray moved forward with another icon, Ivan Lendl, in 2016.

Aside from the appointment of Murray, Draper had revealed that he will also be assisted by a coaching team from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) for the grass-court season.

“In the interim, I will continue to be supported by the excellent team at the LTA, with the addition of Andy Murray, who will be supporting me throughout the grass-court season,” he had said in a statement.

Draper has struggled with injury problems since the US Open last year. He had to withdraw from his second-round clash at the Grand Slam due to an injury in his left arm (his serving arm) that had resulted in him being ruled out for the remainder of the season. Draper would eventually return to action almost six months later at the Dubai Championships.

While it appeared that his season was back on track following a victory over Novak Djokovic at the Indian Wells Open, he encountered another setback at the Barcelona Open. He had suffered an issue in his right knee, which forced him to retire mid-match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The injury would force him to withdraw from the remainder of the clay swing. The 24-year-old has only played eight matches this season, and his long absence from the tour has led to a major decline in the rankings.

After finishing last year ranked No. 10, Draper’s ranking has already plummeted to No. 75 this year, and it is he can lose even more places before making his return to the court. The Brit is expected to be back in action at the HSBC Championships next month, with Murray on his corner.

While many are looking forward to seeing how Draper will perform under Murray’s guidance, there are others who aren’t that excited about the partnership.

Sam Querrey describes the Draper-Murray partnership as anything but exciting

Former American pro Sam Querrey isn’t a big fan of the partnership because of Draper’s regular struggles with injury. He believes that the Brit can find himself on the sidelines again in the upcoming grass swing.

“It’s not exciting because we don’t know how healthy he is,” Querrey had said on the Nothing Major show.

Another American pro and former World No. 21, Steve Johnson, backed this statement and remarked that he would have been excited if Draper was among the top-ranked players like before.

“If Draper was five in the world and had a great year like he did last year, I would be fired up for this,” Johnson stated.

Johnson further said that though he was fired up about the announcement at first, he also feels that Draper may not be able to play the grass swing in its entirety. But the American does want the 24-year-old to regain his fitness and play in his home country.

“I love it. When that news came across, I was like, ” This is unreal. I can’t wait. But then, wait a second, Draper might not even play. That’s the bummer. I want to see Draper play because when he is, he is one of the best in the world and someone who could potentially go after the Sinner and the Alcaraz, especially on grass with that lefty serve in his home country. Just having Murray with you, in England, playing these events. It is going to be amazing. I just want him to be healthy, that’s it,” he added.

It remains to be seen if Murray will be able to bring an instant shift in Draper’s results in the upcoming grass-court season.