"Little bit sick when it gets tough": Jack Draper lays bare reason for throwing up multiple times on court during US Open SF defeat to Jannik Sinner
Jack Draper's incredible campaign at Flushing Meadows ended after he lost to No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner in the semifinal. His physical fitness and repeated vomiting hampered the rhythm, the cause of which he revealed after the match.
Draper lost the first set 5-7 and battled hard in the second but ultimately fell short in the tiebreak. Sinner asserted his dominance even further in the third set, securing a commanding 6-2 victory and quashing Draper’s hopes of his first Major title.
A sudden illness during the match made things tough for the Brit. Draper struggled with the humidity and vomited several times before taking a medical timeout and calling for a trainer in the second set.
When asked about the cause in the post-match press conference, Draper attributed his discomfort to the extreme humidity and the intensity of the match.
"Yeah, I mean, obviously it was extremely humid today. Hasn't been pretty much the whole week as of yet. You know, I think it was obviously a very physical match," Draper said.
Draper mentioned that although he usually feels relaxed before matches, the excitement of reaching the semifinal made him more nervous than usual.
"Obviously that's why Jannik is the No. 1 player in the world, because when you play the top players, the intensity is different. You know, it's a step up. I think obviously it's a big occasion for me. I definitely felt, even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around. I'm definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being," he said.
Draper explained that the combination of these factors sometimes causes him to feel nauseous and sick during tough matches.
"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. Yeah, I didn't have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up," he added.
Draper had not lost a set before the US Open semifinal and became the first after Daniil Medvedev to do so.
Jannik Sinner to face Taylor Fritz in the US Open final after SF triumph over Jack Draper
Jannik Sinner has secured a place in the US Open final and will face home favorite Taylor Fritz. Additionally, the Italian will look to extend his perfect 5-0 record in tour-level title matches.
Fritz defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Matteo Berrettini, Francisco Comesana, Casper Ruud, and Alexander Zverev before defeating Frances Tiafoe in the semifinal and setting up his encounter with Sinner. The 26-year-old aims to become the first American to win the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Sinner and Fritz are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head, with the Italian winning their previous encounter in Indian Wells last year.