Coach of MonthBriton is subject of March’s ATP Coach Spotlight
March 11, 2025
Team Draper
James Trotman has been coaching Jack Draper since 2021. By ATP Staff
For James Trotman, coaching is about more than just fine-tuning technique or crafting game plans: it’s about understanding the mind behind the player. With established Top 20 star Jack Draper, Trotman avoids knee-jerk corrections, instead giving his player the chance to process and internalise.
“We tend not to debrief until the next day, whether win or lose,” Trotman told ATPTour.com in Indian Wells. “I like to give him the space after that moment to let the thoughts ruminate in his own head a little bit, rather than the need to jump in there. I think it’s healthy for players to reflect on the positives and negatives of the match from that perspective and then catch up and review together.
“My philosophy is that I think Jack has a way of playing that we should be looking to execute first and foremost. Within that, are there two or three tactical things that we might look to implement to help him. I’m a massive believer in executing what you do well, primarily. On top of that we can build some things that might impact the [specific] match and opponent they’re playing.”
Trotman’s guidance has been key to helping Draper overcome the rigorous demands of the ATP Tour, and particularly an injury-plagued 2023 season, during which the then-21-year-old was sidelined for six months through injury. The priority became evident.
“Coming into last year, the only goal was to stay fit and healthy,” Trotman said. “We were at the point where it didn’t matter how good he could be, or was going to be, our focus was to keep him fit. It’s challenging to build up trust in your body again. It’s not something that happens instantly. This has been a long journey.
”It wasn’t just one injury, it was three or four on the back of each other. I thought that was enough, ‘What are we going to do here, Jack? Who are the people we’re going to put around you?’ That was the first objective. It’s okay to fail, but if we do, it’s not because we’re not trying.”
Trotman owns a wealth of experience from his time with the LTA, the governing body of tennis in Great Britain, where he has worked with some of the country’s top-ranked players, including former World No. 14 Kyle Edmund. His years within the national setup has honed his coaching skills and enabled him to build a foundation of support for Draper, ensuring that he didn’t just recover from his injuries, but returned to the court stronger than ever.
Draper has since risen to a career high of No. 12 in the PIF ATP Rankings. In 2024, he captured two tour-level titles in Stuttgart and Vienna, both of which came either side of a breakthrough run to the US Open semi-finals, where he fell to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
With a current support system that draws parallels with that of his idol and three-time major winner Andy Murray, the foundations are in place for Draper to push even further. The British No. 1 employs Shane Annun as his physio and Matt Little as his strength and conditioning coach, both of whom worked with the double Wimbledon champion Murray during his career. Alex Ward is also on hand for 12 weeks in 2025 to assist Trotman with the coaching.
Shane Annun and James Trotman at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
When it comes to Trotman’s coaching philosophy, he believes in players taking ownership of their own development. He emphasises flexibility and adaptability, tailoring his approach to fit each player’s unique needs while also staying true to his fundamental principles.
“I think everybody is different. I think it comes down to the person, that’s the biggest challenge,” Trotman added. “Everyone has different strengths, different weaknesses. But I think the best players I’ve been surrounded with, they’ve been resilient in dealing with adversity, to get on a journey with and see what their vision is and who they want to become.
“It’s what that player needs at that given time, I think there needs to be a little bit of flexibility both ways, without compromising your core beliefs as a coach and what you believe as a player. There’s different ways of trying to get those skills and teach those attributes that you’re looking to get out of a player. You might do that in different ways depending on the player and how they’re willing to learn.
“It’s a team approach we have, but ultimately it’s about what’s right for the players. Our job is about making a lot of sacrifices for what is best for the players.”
Resilience has become a defining trait of Draper’s career. Once a talented junior, who reached the 2018 Wimbledon boys’ final at just 16 years old, he had to learn to fight through adversity from an early age.
“There was a lot of potential there,” Trotman said of Draper, whom he began working with in 2021. “He was very small until the age of 15 or 16. He grew up as a smaller player having to compete against bigger guys, having to defend and find ways of being competitive against the stronger players who could hit him off the court.
“His identity from a young age was to be a little bit more defensive. All of a sudden, he grows to 6’ 4” and he’s serving out of a tree and hitting the ball big. A big part of that coaching journey that we’re still on today is to try and impose his weapons on the court and take the racquet out of his opponent’s hand.”
Draper’s ability to balance those contrasting elements of his game has been a key focus for Trotman. Yet just as crucial has been ensuring that they keep a clear perspective in the high-pressure environment of the ATP Tour. Now a two-time tour-level champion who is verging on a Top 10 breakthrough, there is every reason to build anticipation around the explosive lefty. But Trotman remains on hand to keep the long-term goals in sight.
“It’s a long year, there’s lots of opportunities,” Trotman says. “It’s so easy to get caught up in a mindset that you need to be playing: ‘Where’s my ranking? What am I defending this week? We want to be chasing Top 10.’ But actually, sometimes taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, being able to make those informed decisions, is really important.”
The clarity of thought extends to the partnership Trotman has with his countryman. Draper has already proven he can compete with the best, securing wins over generational rivals Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, both of which came at Queen’s Club. To maintain that level, however, the coach-player relationship has to be rock solid.
“I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to work with Jack, to be on the journey with him,” said Trotman. At the end of the day, a ranking is a ranking and I’m interested in trying to get the best out of someone, whoever I’m coaching.
“We get on great, you have to. When you’re living in each other’s shoes and spending as much time as you do around each other in a high pressure situation — not necessarily a normal situation. Our relationship is really good. We can have a laugh, we can have our own space, and we can have difficult conversations with each other when needed, and respect each other’s opinion.
“It takes time, you have to build the relationship and the trust. Ultimately, I think Jack knows that the decisions I’m making or the opinions I have, they’re based around what’s best for him, not what’s best for me. Sometimes he might not like to hear that, but he knows that it’s with the right intention. We don’t always have to agree, but that’s trust and that takes time. You have to go through the ups and downs, stick together, and find your path on the journey we’re on together to ultimately find the best opportunities for Jack.”
