US Open 2024: Jack Draper sick on court in semi-final defeat by Jannik Sinner in New York

During a tense US Open semi-final match against world number one Jannik Sinner, British player Jack Draper experienced a bout of nausea and ended up throwing up on the court.

The young British player made a strong showing at a major tennis event, but unfortunately, their impressive run came to an end with a loss in straight sets.

In the most important match of his early career, the 25th seed Draper gave Sinner trouble in a close first set.

However, in the second set of the competition, things started getting more intense and physical. Draper, who appeared unwell, ended up throwing up three times and was unable to put enough pressure on Sinner's serve.

In the third set, Draper struggled to keep up with his opponent and seemed exhausted. He embraced his friend, Sinner, tiredly as the Italian advanced to his first US Open final.

"I'm absolutely a person who tends to feel quite anxious," stated Draper.

When you combine all of those factors, there are times when I feel a touch of queasiness during a match and I start to feel unwell when things get challenging.

I didn't face any issues prior to the game, but they evidently accumulated.

The person who broke the rules will now play against American player Taylor Fritz, who is the 12th seed, in the final on Sunday.

"It was a really intense game. I made sure to stay focused mentally. He's a strong opponent to compete against," stated Sinner, the Australian Open winner who is striving for a second major championship.

For a while now, people have been saying that Draper is the next big thing in British men's tennis. This season, he has really proven them right by winning his first ATP title, becoming the top player in his country, and making it to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

Appropriately, he made it to the semi-finals of the US Open, held on a medium-fast hard court that complements his powerful style of play. This tournament was the first major competition following Andy Murray's retirement.

The southpaw from Surrey has taken up the challenge left by the retired top-ranked player Murray.

However, he was not able to be the first British man to make it to a big final since the Scottish player.

In the beginning of Draper's career, he faced many health challenges and had to focus on strengthening his body to handle the demands of a tough sport. This has played a key role in his success this year.

Anxiety has also played a role in his recent struggles. He fell ill right after winning the first round of the Australian Open in January, attributing his sickness to the intense pressure he was feeling at the time.

"Every now and then during the game, you may feel nervous and it can escalate at specific points," explained Draper.

I thought the score being tied 5-5 in the first set was a crucial moment. I made a few mistakes with double faults and the score was tied several times.

"When I started playing the second set, my opponent was attempting to break my serve in the first game. I was able to prevent this from happening, but at that moment, I began to feel unwell."

After the initial letdown fades away, he will look back with great satisfaction on a positive two weeks that suggest there are even more thrilling moments in store for British tennis enthusiasts.

Draper's world ranking has significantly improved over the past year, moving from 123rd to a top-20 position that he will achieve next week.

Draper made a breakthrough in New York with a series of well-executed performances, advancing to the semi-finals without losing a single set.

Although he had performed with composure and precision, there were doubts about how well the left-handed player would do against someone as talented as Sinner.

The first four players Draper faced were ranked lower than him, and he didn't have to play against the highly talented Carlos Alcaraz in the third round because Alcaraz was surprisingly defeated in the second round after winning the French Open and Wimbledon.

In the quarter-finals, Alex de Minaur, who was ranked 10th, also struggled with fitness issues.

In the beginning of the semi-final match, Draper gave Sinner a tough challenge - despite Sinner having moved on from the controversy of testing positive for a banned substance earlier this year. Unfortunately, three double faults ended up being a costly mistake as the Italian player broke serve decisively to take a 6-5 lead.

Next, Draper experienced increasing stress during an unusual second set.

Despite facing difficulties, he managed to hold onto his serve despite Sinner having four opportunities to break. He then became ill on the court twice after scoring points.

During a chaotic ninth game, the match had to be temporarily stopped due to his vomit on the court, which had to be cleaned. After that, the 23-year-old Sinner tripped while trying to reach a return near the advertising board and hurt his left wrist.

Both men needed medical attention simultaneously, which is an uncommon occurrence.

The player increased the intensity in the tie-break, hitting powerful groundstrokes to push their opponent back, and forcing errors to take a two-set lead.

Draper faced a difficult challenge, with his family, including his mother Nicky, watching him. Nicky had flown from London and landed in New York at 2am on Friday. The task seemed impossible to overcome.

Draper demonstrated determination by persisting in the match against the top player in the world, choosing not to give up despite having been forced to retire on multiple occasions in the past.

However, his determination eventually faltered as Sinner won the last four games to secure the victory after three hours and three minutes.

"Jannik consistently performs at a very high standard. I had a few opportunities, but I didn't make the most of them," Draper stated.

I wasn't at my best during the match and had some tough moments, but Jannik defeated me fairly and squarely.