Poor Jack Draper. When the British No 1 lay awake in his New York hotel room on the night before his first grand slam semi-final, he would not have pictured his superb US Open run coming to an end while mopping up his own vomit on court. In a brutal contest against the World No 1 Jannik Sinner, Draper threw up four times and was left completely drained at the end of a gruelling three-hour battle. Sinner emerged with a 7-5 7-6 (3) 6-2 victory to reach his second grand slam final of the season and first in New York, but only after he had been pushed all the way by Draper.
Which only goes to make defeat all the more heartbreaking for the 22-year-old. Draper was right with Sinner for the majority of the opening two sets but the Italian, having won the Australian Open at the start of the year while rising to the top spot in the world rankings, managed to raise his game when it counted. It is hugely encouraging that Draper did not look out of place while competing against the world’s best on one of the sport’s biggest stages and there was enough to suggest that this will not be his last appearance in a grand slam semi-final.
His first, though, will almost certainly be remembered by the dramatic scenes that unfolded midway through the second set – which became hugely unfortunate for Draper as he struggled with the intense stress of the biggest match of his life, as well as the stifling heat and humidity of the New York afternoon. After taking on a considerable amount of fluid in an attempt to rehydrate in between the punishingly long service games, Draper threw it back up again behind the baseline; the British No 1 then took it upon himself to wipe away the mess, before he was told off by the chair umpire after placing his towel back in his towel box.
Draper, who was also sick at the end of his first-round win at the Australian Open earlier this year, said that his anxiety had played a part. “I think obviously it’s a big occasion for me,” he explained afterwards. “I definitely felt, even though I generally feel pretty relaxed, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around. I’m definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. I think when you add all that together, sometimes I do feel a bit nausea on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough. I didn’t have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up.
“Being sick doesn’t help. You just feel worse and worse, because you can’t put anything in your body. When you’re playing long matches, you need to be able to drink and to eat things and give your body the supplies it needs to keep on going. But obviously when you’re feeling sick and stuff like that, you can’t put anything inside your body, because it just comes straight out, and it’s the worst feeling ever. You can’t move around the court when that happens. It’s a horrible feeling, and you feel more dizzy and more sick the more you are.”
Draper has worked hard on improving his physical condition this season and believes his US Open run is evidence of the progress he has made. But facing an opponent like Sinner in a grand slam semi-final brought a different level of intensity, both physically and emotionally. Draper did not appear to show nerves to begin with, and the opening set only came down to a couple of points on 5-5. The 22-year-old, though, made several double faults and struggled with the grip on his racket due to the sweat he was producing amid the sweltering conditions. Draper, by his own admission, is a “big sweater” on court, and additional shirts and shoes were called upon.
Draper battled on, even as he started to feel unwell. The 25th seed saved break points in three games in a row at the start of the second set, utilising an effective serve-and-volley game and displaying an impressive touch at the net, as well as managing to take on Sinner’s clean ball-striking from the baseline. The point of the match produced yet another dramatic moment, as Sinner fell and landed on his left wrist after rescuing a nudge from Draper down the line. The 23-year-old took a medical timeout for treatment and was later seen with his wrist wrapped in ice. It remains a concern ahead of Sunday’s final, where Sinner will play Taylor Fritz.
But for a moment, as both Draper and Sinner received medical attention simultaneously, the semi-final appeared to hang in the balance. Sinner, though, found another gear to race away with the tiebreak and claimed the early break in the third to quell whatever fight remained from within Draper, whose request for a can of Coke to be brought on court was granted but arrived too late to help his physical condition. And while Draper will take great encouragement from his US Open run, it is clear what the next area of his game he will have to conquer next if he is to go beyond this stage again: coping with physical and mental demands of the grand slams while facing the very best in the world. To his immense credit, Draper was open and honest on the process he is going through.
“I’m getting more and more experience,” Draper said. “That’s the one thing that’s helped me this year and helped me feel better in general. The more experience you have of situations, the easier things become. [But] it’s difficult: we’ve all got things we’re working through all the time. Tennis is hugely mental and physical. I try my best all the time to keep evolving, to keep learning and it’s something I’ve had to work through my entire life. I think I’ve got a strong mentality [but] I use a lot of mental energy because I want it so badly. That doesn’t necessarily help all of the time, especially in these best of five matches. That sort of anxiety and those feelings can build up. So it’s a real strength of mine but it’s also a weakness, and I have to continue to work on it.”