Viewers tuning in for the US Open semifinal duel between No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 25 Jack Draper were treated to more than just tennis during the Friday afternoon contest.
During the second set, Draper vomited on the court twice before falling in a two-set hole against Sinner. He visited the locker room in between the second and third sets and emerged looking refreshed and ready to continue competing in the third.
Sinner emerged victorious, however, sweeping Draper and dealing him his only three set losses for the tournament. Nevertheless, the British up-and-comer was valiant in his efforts, capturing two games in the final set.
Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, this isn’t the first time he’s puked during a match in 2024. Here’s everything to know about Draper throwing up for the second time at a Grand Slam tournament this year, including why the young tennis star keeps vomiting.
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Why does Jack Draper keep vomiting?
The first time Draper threw up this year, he thankfully made it to the sidelines before he let it out. After beating American Marcos Giron in the first round of the Australian Open in January, he shook his opponent’s hand at the net and promptly sprinted over to a trash can to vomit.
Draper with the ‘hurry up and shake my hand cause im gonna vomit” pic.twitter.com/HWqBuKvVRR
— Ryan (@Some1NamedRyan) January 16, 2024
Temperatures reached 86 degrees Farenheit in Melbourne during the match, but Draper attributed his sickness to the “psychological stress” of playing at a Slam and not the weather.
“I don’t usually get sick, not ever. I think it’s weird,” Draper told reporters. “It was obviously a physical match. It’s tough conditions…I’m still a young player, so getting used to the environment around these slams and the tension is difficult.”
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The 22-year-old faced a similar fate nearly nine months later. While facing the world No. 1 on Friday, he puked up what looked to be clear liquid behind the baseline twice during the second set. Temperatures in New York City only reached a high of 77 degrees, but humidity sat around 73% during the match.
Jack Draper not feeling his greatest out on court right now 😳 pic.twitter.com/MczakTVpZc
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) September 6, 2024
The first time, Draper quickly cleaned up the mess with his towel. But the second time, there was too much for him to clear between points. The official tried to stop the match to give volunteers time to get rid of it, but both players decided they wanted to continue to play until the changeover between games.
As a result, Draper and Sinner squared off with vomit on the court until the changeover. Both received treatment during the stoppage after Sinner appeared to tweak his wrist. Draper rehydrated and put ice on his neck during the break before returning, but he finished the set without falling sick again despite losing the second-set tiebreaker 7-3.
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Jannik Sinner vs. Jack Draper final score
Before Friday’s match, Draper hadn’t dropped a set across his entire US Open run. That didn’t last long against the Italian, but neither did the 22-year-old go quietly. He pushed Sinner to seven games in the first two sets before losing steam in the final frame.
Sinner advances to the championship match, where the world No. 1 will take on either No. 12 Taylor Fritz or No. 20 Francis Tiafoe.
Here’s a look at the box score from the semifinal matchup between Sinner and Draper.
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| Jannik Sinner | 7 | 7 (7) | 6 | 3 |
| Jack Draper | 5 | 6 (3) | 2 | 0 |
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