Jack Draper vomits then sees US Open dreams end in gruelling defeat to Jannik Sinner

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Jack Draper didn’t win a set in his semi-final defeat against world No 1 Jannik Sinner, but he did earn plenty of admiration for the way he kept fighting, despite repeatedly vomiting on the court.
“Incredible concentration given what he’s been dealing with,” said the watching John McEnroe, as Draper continued to scrap for every point despite his nausea. “Admirable effort right now.”
This didn’t seem to be a case of any pre-existing gastrointestinal issue for Draper. Rather, he was finding it difficult to deal with the intense humidity and airlessness of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It wasn’t actually that hot in New York on Friday, with the mercury rising no higher than 26 degrees Celsius. But the key factor was the 65 per cent humidity, and the way in which the massive stands on Ashe – the biggest court in world tennis – cut off any ventilation.
From the first 15 minutes onwards, Draper looked like he had just walked out of a sweat lodge. One of his principle challenges – apart from dealing with Sinner’s metronomic groundstrokes – lay in gripping his sodden racket handle.
After a series of particularly punishing rallies in the middle of the second set, chair umpire Marijana Veljovic stopped the match clock so that Draper could change his shoes. It was a safety issue, she said, because so much sweat was sloshing out with every step that it was making the court dangerously slippery.
The vomiting began in a second set that found both men calling the trainer to the court. Draper also asked for the doctor, who gave him a couple of tablets, presumably for his nausea.
On three separate occasions, Draper vomited and then matter-of-factly cleaned the mess up with a towel. Veljovic kept trying to stop play in order to improve the hygiene situation, but the players – two good friends who were nevertheless bashing lumps out of each other – weren’t having any of it.
Jack Draper not feeling his greatest out on court right now 😳 pic.twitter.com/MczakTVpZc
To add to an already chaotic situation, Sinner slipped at the back of the court in an apparently endless eighth game of the second set and seemed to have hurt his left wrist as he put his hand down while falling to the ground.
Here was a passage of play which underlined the intense physicality of modern tennis. This is no longer the game that curates and well-bred ladies used to play on the vicarage lawn. Ironically, the ESPN broadcast depicted both men battling their own bodies alongside a logo that read “The world’s healthiest sport.”
That second set was a punishing experience all round, lasting no less than 89 minutes – which is longer than 53 of the 124 women’s matches at this event. Only one other set in the tournament has run longer.
And the eighth game was a mini-epic in its own right. Apart from Sinner’s slip – which left him bending over and clutching his left wrist in agony – Draper vomited twice in this period. He then managed to hold serve in his next game, the ninth of the set, before the players were finally allowed to sit down and the medical treatment started.
Sinner wins a staggering point – but is he hurt? 👀 pic.twitter.com/HiuaTZjl5R
As ESPN commentator James Blake put it: “There’s two trainers on the court, a doctor, ball kids getting involved [to clear up any damp patches on the court] – it’s a lot.”
Although Sinner kept shaking out his left wrist over the next couple of games, it didn’t take him long to settle back into his punishing rhythm, and any hope that Draper might be able to break down his double-fisted backhand soon evaporated.
An experienced performer who was contesting his fourth major semi-final, Sinner identified this as the moment to push. Staying solid on the backhand wing, he started ripping his forehand with rare intensity, and dominated the second-set tiebreak.
To Draper’s immense credit, he kept hanging onto his serve, game after game, despite being clearly out on his feet. Between the end of the first set and the middle of the third, he managed eight successive holds, even in the face of Sinner’s unrelenting accuracy.
As he walked on the court, Draper had given a brief interview in which he said that he would need to “play incredible tennis and compete like an animal” if he was going to upset the “best player on the planet at the moment”.
He might not have managed the second part of that equation, but he certainly delivered on the first. Towards the end of the match, he called for the supervisor to bring him a can of Coke in the hope that it would settle his stomach. But he was on his last legs by now, and eventually Sinner broke him for a fourth time to complete his 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 win.
Whatever else Draper has done at this event, he has shown that he has skill, poise and enormous heart. His fitness has carried him into the latter stages of the fortnight, but it is part of his physical makeup that he sweats an enormous amount, and that is an issue that his backroom team will have to address.
We can give the last word to McEnroe, who said: “He’s formidable. You can see that already, and he’ll be getting into these situations more often in the years to come. He seems comfortable going toe to toe with one of the biggest hitters in the game.”
Join Telegraph Sport on Saturday evening for live coverage of the women’s final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula.
Then on Sunday, Sinner will play the winner of Frances Tiafoe vs Taylor Fritz in the men’s final.
Sinner played the better tennis. It was really about Sinner playing better tennis at the most important times.
There were some ebbs and flows in the first set, but at the end of first and second set – there was a lot of drama – but that was when Sinner showed his class, with his ball striking on both wings.
He was making the rallies physical and it was too much for Jack. He will learn so much from this. 
To be in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time is a huge stepping stone. Onwards and upwards.
I’m just happy to be in the final. Whoever it is, it will be a tough challenge for me. I’m just looking forward to it. The season I’m going through, is very positive, and finals are special days.
Every Sunday you play at a tournament means you are doing an amazing job. We will keep pushing and see what we can do on Sunday.
Me and Jack know each other very well. We are great friends off the court.
It was a very physical match. I tried to stay there mentally. He is so tough to beat.
It was a very special occasion. Thank you everyone for coming out. The support has been amazing and I’m happy to be in the final.
Pictures of Draper lying on his back as he talks to his coach and trainer. A reassuring pat on the arm by coach Trotman for Draper, who understandably looks gutted.
Unbothered. Focused. Flourishing.Jannik Sinner takes out Draper in straights to reach his maiden US Open final! pic.twitter.com/0K1LtTgT2p
A tired and dejected Draper leaves the court. The physical exhaustion is there for everyone to see. But he can be very proud of his efforts over the last 12 days.
Draper just wants to get off the court at this stage. He’s going for broke with his shots and sometimes it is working and other times not. He’s got nothing left in the tank.
In comparison, Sinner looks like he can keep going for another two hours. He sprints up to a Draper drop shot and hits a forehand winner down the line for a set point.
Sinner backhand winner. GAME SET MATCH SINNER. Too good from the world No 1, who reaches his first US Open final.
A love hold by Sinner to compound Draper’s woes. The Italian is a game away.
Draper double fault, his 10th of the match, 15-30. Great hustle by Sinner to stay with Draper’s forehand but the Briton finishes with a forehand winner, 30-30.
Draper serve and volleys and Sinner’s backhand return beats him, break point. Draper drop volley is good but not good enough as Sinner gets there with time to spare and flicks a backhand winner down the line.
Sinner breaks and this match is all over.
Jannik Sinner gets the break in the third set! pic.twitter.com/Kt0PDS9CBC
Sinner cruises through another service game, this time to love. Draper is barely moving at the moment but he is hanging on.
Draper has shown great feel at the net tonight. He wins his 20th point in the forecourt with a deft forehand volley winner.
He serves and volley but doesn’t get tight enough to the net and Sinner passes him, 40-30. Draper holds again to stay in touch.
Sinner continues to look remarkably fresh as we approach three hours of play on Arthur Ashe. The unforced errors are mounting up for Draper and Sinner finishes with a backhand winner down the line.
Draper is struggling to move now and Sinner senses this is his moment. A crunching forehand down the line gives Sinner a break point.
Draper drop shot, Sinner flicks a backhand to the baseline, Draper backhand pass and Sinner nets a volley, deuce. Big miss by the Italian.
And it proves to be enough for Draper to come through and hold.
Long break with Draper off the court. While he waits, Sinner gets his legs massaged by the physio. 
What does Draper have left to give? Does he believe he can still win this in five sets? It is going to take something truly remarkable for that to happen.
At the moment Sinner looks in complete control and he holds to 15.
Draper forehand long, 1-6. Draper first serve unreturned, 2-6. Sinner return long, 3-6. Draper looks exhausted…
Draper return wide and Sinner marches into a two-set lead, 3-7.
Sinner takes a two-set lead ✅✅A knackered Jack Draper has a fight on his hands if he wants to make it through 🤺 pic.twitter.com/tIvCaamTxS
Sinner forehand winner, 0-1. Inside out forehand winner by Sinner, 0-2. Draper backhand return into the net, 0-3.
Draper forehand long after a series of big shots by Sinner, 0-4. Draper volley winner, 1-4. Draper forehand into the tramlines, 1-5.
Commanding lead for the Italian as the players change ends.
Coach Trotman tells Draper to keep testing Sinner’s two-handed backhand. They sense his left hand may still be an issue for the Italian.
But unfortunately for Draper, he’s unable to hurt Sinner here and we go into a tiebreak.
Draper puts himself in charge at 40-0. Sinner pulls it back to 40-30 but goes long with a forehand and Draper books himself a tiebreak.
McEnroe on Draper: “Incredible concentration given what he’s been dealing with. Admirable effort right now.”
After extensive work on his wrist, Sinner is back out and looks to be OK after treatment. Draper seems to have composed himself again but he can’t make an impression on this service game and Sinner holds.
Jack Draper not feeling his greatest out on court right now 😳 pic.twitter.com/MczakTVpZc
Oh my word! Point of the tournament. Sinner hits an outrageous forehand winner off a Draper overhead. Sinner is holding his left hand after he had landed awkwardly in the middle of that point.
Physio is on court for Draper and Sinner right now. High drama on Arthur Ashe. 
And amid all that Draper holds.
Sinner wins a staggering point – but is he hurt? 👀 pic.twitter.com/HiuaTZjl5R
Draper backhand pass and Sinner can’t get his volley over the net, 30-all. Timely first serve by Sinner draws the error from Draper.
That’s lovely Jack! He seizes the initiative, moves forward with his approach shot and hits a stunning drop volley winner. He cups his ears to the crowd to get more cheers.
Oh wow. Draper just threw up at the back of the court. He mops it up with a towel. Grim stuff as the Briton appears to be struggling.
Sinner comes through another tough game.
Jack Draper with one of the best shots you’ll see this tournament 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/MnGzaNIa4V
Bizarre moment here as Draper changes his shoes due to the perspiration pouring out from him. The ball boys are out again, wiping the court with towels.
Nice change up by Draper as he hits a disguised backhand drop shot and Sinner can’t reach it, 30-15. Another drop shot by Draper but that lands in the net and looked to be a very tired effort, 30-30. Big point coming now. 
Draper serve and volleys, Sinner gets there but incredibly puts his backhand pass wide. Another backhand error by Sinner and Draper wins a service game without having to save a break point.
Another love hold for Sinner. He is looking very comfortable at the moment.
Draper would love a dominant game here to relieve the pressure and he moves to 30-15 with an overhead smash winner. Forehand long by Draper makes it 40-30. He needs the next point here.
But he doesn’t get it as he double faults. Coach Trotman tells him to change rackets as he seems to be struggling to grip it.
Another double fault and now he does change rackets but it is break point Sinner. Sinner backhand return wide, deuce.
And Draper does get through it to hold after another Sinner return error.
Wow, 28 minutes for 2-1 in the second set alone! Courageous play from Draper to save three break points in his last couple of games, but Sinner also defended brilliantly under heavy pressure. They’ve played 36 points to get three games finished and there are ballboys out with towels to mop up the sweat on the court. This sport is brutal. 
Interestingly, Draper has made Sinner run a bit more in this set, because the difference in their stats (previously 21 metres per point to 19) has closed a little.
Much more comfortable game for Sinner as he moves to 40-0 with a forehand winner. A 115mph wide ace and Sinner holds to love.
No relief for Draper as he’s forced to serve again very quickly.
Best way for Draper to keep the points short is to attack the net and a volley winner makes it 30-30. But a forehand long gives Sinner another break point. Brave serve and volley by Draper on his second serve and he finishes with aplomb, deuce.
This match has become very physical and you can hear the effort Draper is putting into this. And after 28 minutes, he can finally sit down following an exquisite half volley winner to hold.
It is hard work out there!
Sloppy start to the game by Sinner as he falls to 0-30. But back-to-back aces make it 40-30. Sinner then jumps into a backhand but pushes the ball wide, deuce.
Double fault Sinner. His first of the match. What a time for it. Break point Draper. The ball sits up nicely for Draper but he goes for too much and sprays his forehand wide. Big chance missed there.
Sinner survives a gruelling game. Will Draper rue that unforced error on break point.
Encouragement and advice from Draper’s coach James Trotman as he comes out for the second set: “When the rallies are extending, he’s coming out on top. Not easy but you’ve got to find a way to shorten them. Control the baseline.”
Must win game for the Briton to steady the ship but a double fault makes it 15-30.
He finds two first serves to help him to 40-30 but a backhand clips the net cord and the ball lands wide. Another long rally ends with a Draper forehand error. Break point Sinner.
Good hustle by Draper and he stretches Sinner wide to draw the error, deuce. Draper serve and volleys, doesn’t do enough with his volley and that allows Sinner to lift up a lob and Draper miscues his overhead, break point Sinner.
A bit of luck for Draper as his backhand clips the net and catches out Sinner, who makes a forehand error. Critical that Draper finds a way out of this game. 
And he makes it through when Sinner’s backhand return goes long. He had to dig very deep there.
A change of shirt for Draper as well as he comes out and looks to break Sinner again. But errors from Draper help Sinner to three set points.
A wild forehand return by Draper goes high and wide and the world No 1 takes the lead.
Sinner snatches set one ☝️This isn’t over – can Jack Draper bounce back? 🔙 pic.twitter.com/i2Y02Z6AiG
Draper was two points away from the set in the last Sinner service game and went for a forehand up the line which skewed well outside the tramlines. Might have been better advised to keep the rally going, given the number of unforced errors that have been flowing from both ends. 
Meanwhile, both players are absolutely drenched and Jack is looking for some regripped rackets because the handle has been sloshing around in his hand – a factor in some of these double-faults. It’s not that hot but Arthur Ashe Stadium is a humid, airless environment.
A Draper ace makes it 40-30 but two points in a row for Sinner gives him a break point. The door is shut by Draper when he powers down a 128mph ace.
Another break chance comes for Sinner after Draper pushes a forehand long. Deep return by Sinner is just long, relief for Draper.
Draper backhand into the net and Sinner gets a third break chance. Oh no. Double fault by Draper and Sinner breaks.
Draper has got Sinner slightly rattled at the moment. Draper is testing the Sinner forehand and the Italian is guilty of more errors and the game goes to deuce. 
But fortunately for Sinner his serve bails him out of trouble and we go on in the first set.
Third double fault by Draper, 15-15. His coach James Trotman tells him to take his time. But Sinner is brilliant at taking time away from his opponent and a forehand winner makes it 15-30.
Shot of the match so far by Draper. Sinner pushes Draper wide with his return and the Briton rips a forehand winner down the line, 30-30.
And Draper holds to move ahead again in the set.
Under pressure, Jack Draper comes up with a stunner! pic.twitter.com/FXI2lXJVz9
Time for Draper to make a move on the Sinner serve, give him something to think about.
Deep Draper return and Sinner flicks a forehand into the tramlines, 0-30. A chance for Draper has opened up…
Patient play by Draper, dug in and refused to blink first and Sinner nets, three break points. Sinner saves the first with an unreturned serve. Then the second when Draper goes long with a forehand. 
Sinner forehand into the net and Draper breaks straight back. Four errors from Sinner gratefully received by the Briton.
Sinner goes after Draper’s second serve and gets the error when the Briton’s backhand goes long, 15-30. First strike tennis from Draper as he crushes a forehand winner down the line, 30-30.
Sinner is standing 2-3 metres behind the baseline but it’s no problem for him as he beats Draper with a backhand return winner, break point.
Draper miscues a forehand wide and Sinner breaks. Really sloppy game from Draper, who couldn’t get enough first serve into play.
“Sinner strikes first!” 🥕Can Draper break back? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3NJZE2K1Di
Nothing to be too worried about at this stage but Draper will want to start making an impact in the Sinner service games.
The Italian holds to love with a forehand winner swiftly and the pressure switches right back to Draper.
Lovely play by Draper to push Sinner wide, approach with his forehand and finish with a volley winner, 30-0. Playing the point on his terms as often as possible will be so important.
And he holds to love to complete another strong hold.
Those hands 🧊👌 pic.twitter.com/LDZ11vHor7
Serve is king at the moment as Sinner comes through another service game when Draper nets a drop shot.
Waiting for the match to catch fire here…
Not the cleanest start. I’ve counted three winners in the first three games – all of them aces – and ten unforced errors across the two contenders. Both men have shanked a couple of forehands. 
Clearly a few butterflies flying around.
Draper is often the aggressor in his matches but today he will have to weather a baseline barrage from Sinner. To avoid that, getting his first serve into play is vital and two aces help him to 40-15.
Forehand wide by Sinner and Draper holds to 30.
Kudos to Draper for making those daft walk-on interviews more interesting than they have any right to be. He said that he would need to “play incredible tennis and compete like an animal” if he is going to upset the “best player on the planet at the moment”.
Sticking with Sinner from the baseline is one of the toughest tasks in tennis right now. Draper will need to be patient in rallies, use the angles that his lefty forehand can open up for him and take his chances.
Sinner doesn’t offer up any break point opportunities in this game though, holding to 30 with a 124mph ace.
First point of the match goes to Sinner after Draper gets a mid-court ball but hits his forehand long. Draper then hits a double fault, second serve dumped half way up the net.
Back comes Draper as his trusty wide first serve is unreturned, 30-all. He then hits a 128mph ace to move 40-30. Another unreturned Draper serve and he completes an excellent recovery.
Shaky start but confident finish by Draper.
It’s men’s semi-final time in New York as Draper and Sinner walk out onto Arthur Ashe.
Sinner wins the coin toss, elects to receive. Pressure on Draper to start strongly.
First ball is moments away folks!
Jannik Sinner on a 9-match winning streak.Jack Draper on a 15-set winning streak.GAME. ON 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ftGYEap189
According to an interview that Sky Sports have done with Jack Draper’s mother Nicky, Jack spoke to his grandfather Chris this morning, and asked for some photographs of his grandmother Brenda, who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease.
He has previously been very open about Brenda’s plight, in the hope of raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s-related research. 
Nicky had previously said that she was happy to watch her son’s matches with a glass of wine on the sofa at home, but after he beat tenth seed Alex de Minaur in Wednesday’s quarter-final, she found herself booking a last-minute flight. 
I think he practised well, he is feeling confident, he’s feeling good and we’re looking forward to the match. Obviously Jannik Sinner is the best player in the world on ranking at the moment, it’s an incredible challenge and these are the moments that we train and work for.
One hundred percent [he can win]. It’s a two person match, Jannik is a fantastic player but I don’t doubt Jack has the level and the game to beat him today but he will have to play one of the best matches of his career on this stage, in this environment, there is no doubt about that. But I’m confident if he plays his best tennis, he can push him all the way and go on and win.
By Oliver BrownYou can just imagine how Jack Draper’s maiden Grand Slam semi-final would be billed if Eddie Hearn were promoting him. “Saint versus Sinner.” There would be billboards along Fifth Avenue, adversarial press conferences, and a start time carefully calibrated to give the British audience a pay-per-view feast once the pubs had kicked out.
Naturally, few besides his nearest and dearest know quite how saintly Draper is. But this is one New York duel where the subplot sells itself. In one corner, you have the clean-cut Home Counties boy fond of posing for Vogue in his designer knitwear. And in the other, there is Jannik Sinner, the world No 1 who left the tennis world reeling last month when it was revealed that he had twice tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, and who escaped suspension after his lawyers successfully argued the substance entered his system via a physiotherapist’s massage.
At face value, Sinner is hardly the most persuasive villain. There is no wrong-side-of-the-tracks edginess to the Italian: he grew up in Sexten, a town of picture-postcard perfection in the Dolomites, and the most striking detail of his youth is that he won a national junior ski title. The “Carota Boys” who follow him on tour are not exactly mischief-makers either, besides their penchant for dressing up as giant carrots in honour of their idol’s red hair. And yet in the context of Sinner’s recent investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), not to mention the opaque way it has been handled, his match-up against Draper acquires a piquancy all its own.
Click here to read the rest of Oliver’s thoughts
What Emma did was obviously incredibly inspiring. I’ve known her from a young age, and to see what she did was incredible.
I was very proud of her, very excited. Obviously, we’ve watched the likes of Andy Murray winning a grand slam from Great Britain, but her winning, it was just really a fairy-tale run.
I definitely think as a competitor, it fuelled my fire. I really wanted to achieve what she’d done, winning a grand slam. At the same time I do understand that the men’s and the women’s, it is different. We’re playing five sets. It’s a different physical challenge and all these types of things. [But] I learned a lot from watching Emma win, that run, and how amazing she was.
When Jack Draper first met a red-headed Italian lad named Jannik Sinner, he wasn’t particularly impressed.
“I remember playing him in doubles,” recalled Draper, who was 15 when he and Sinner originally encountered each other at a junior event in Berlin. “We were saying ‘Hit to him, because he’s not the best player on the court’!”
Little did Draper know that Sinner would one day become an important figure in his life. Not just as an opponent – for these gifted men will meet in Friday’s US Open semi-finals – but as a friend.
Only a month ago, Draper and Sinner played doubles together at a tour event in Montreal, winning two rounds before withdrawing – probably because Sinner was more interested in his singles quarter-final against Andrey Rublev the next day.
They share a mutually supportive bond, in which each man follows each other’s results and provides reassurance – a much-needed quality amid the lonely life of a travelling tennis pro. But this is no time for sentimentality. Draper must put their personal connection to one side if he wants to reach his first grand slam final.
Click here to read more.
Winning Stuttgart was a huge moment for me. I played two finals before that and both times I came up short and it was something like I was a good enough player to do it but I just wasn’t getting over the line and I don’t think whatever level you’re playing at – winning five matches and winning a tournament is an incredible achievement.
When I won that one, it felt strange. There was a massive sigh of relief and it actually made me believe in myself a lot more. It made me a lot more confident in my own skin and really made me believe that by beating the players that I beat, especially to win the tournament, I felt like I belonged a lot more at the really highest level.
🇬🇧 London, 2021: 19-year-old wildcard Jack Draper earns his first ATP Tour win over World No. 23 Jannik Sinner🇺🇸 New York, 2024: 22-year-old Draper will play his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final vs World No. 1 Jannik Sinner@usopen #USOpen pic.twitter.com/S2bqvBiFBM
That is the question everyone is wondering with less than an hour to go before the players come onto court.
Draper has the weapons to cause plenty of problems for Sinner but there is no doubt the Italian is the favourite.
Nerves are bound to play a part given what is at stake and a lot will depend on who handles the pressure best in the big moments.
Hello and welcome to coverage from the US Open as Jack Draper prepares to play the biggest match of his fledgling career.
Draper has marched into the semi-finals in New York without dropping a set but tonight he faces his toughest – world No 1 Jannik Sinner. The two players are close off the court but their friendship will be on the backburner as they battle for a place in Sunday’s final.
“I’ve been feeling like a more complete player, like physically I’ve always maybe in the past worried a little bit about playing five sets and mentally and emotionally it being too much for me,” Draper admitted.
“And kind of just thinking, ‘Am I good enough to play these best players in the world in best-of-five sets?’
“Even though I have won all of them in three sets, I still feel like I have got so much left in my locker. I’m not worrying about if it goes longer.
“It gives me a lot of peace of mind knowing that my body feels good or robust, and I’m ready to go the distance if I need to. I feel like my tennis feels really flowing and I feel like I’m not using too much energy when I’m playing the points.”
Sinner arrived at Flushing Meadows against the backdrop of twice testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid but avoiding a ban after his lawyers successfully argued the substance entered his system via a physiotherapist’s massage.
Aside from a handful of wobbles, the Italian has played with the confidence and swagger of the world’s best so far but he is expecting a difficult match.
“He makes a lot of serve and volleys. Tries to go to the net. There are many things he’s doing great,” Sinner said of his upcoming opponent. 
“It’s going to be a tough match for both of us.”