Viewers who tuned in to watch the US Open semi-final clash between No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 25 Jack Draper were treated to more than just tennis during Friday afternoon’s competition.
During the second set, Draper vomited on the court twice before losing two sets to Sinner. He returned to the locker room between the second and third sets and emerged refreshed and ready to continue competing in the third.
Sinner, however, cruised to victory, sweeping Draper aside to hand him his only three defeats of the tournament. Nevertheless, the young Briton showed courage in his efforts, winning two games in the final set.
Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, this isn’t the first time he’s thrown up during a match in 2024. Here’s everything you need to know about Draper throwing up for the second time at a Grand Slam tournament this year, including why the young tennis star keeps throwing up.
Why does Jack Draper keep throwing up?
The first time Draper threw up this year, he luckily managed to retreat to the side of the court before he threw up. 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 rushed to a trash can to throw up.
Drape with the “Hurry up and shake my hand because I’m going to throw up” pic.twitter.com/HWqBuKvVRR
— Ryan (@Some1NamedRyan) January 16, 2024
Temperatures reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit in Melbourne during the match, but Draper attributed his illness to the “psychological stress” of playing a Grand Slam, not the weather.
“I don’t usually get sick, ever. I find it weird,” Draper told reporters. “It was obviously a physical game. The conditions were tough… I’m still a young player, so getting used to the environment around these tournaments and the tension is tough.”
The 22-year-old suffered the same fate nearly nine months later. While facing the world No. 1 on Friday, he vomited what appeared to be clear fluid behind the baseline twice during the second set. Temperatures in New York reached just 77 degrees, but humidity remained around 73 percent during the match.
Jack Draper isn’t feeling his best on the pitch at the moment ? 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 to clean up between points. The referee tried to stop the match to give the volunteers time to get rid of it, but both players decided they wanted to keep playing until the change of play.
Draper and Sinner battled on court, vomiting until the change of ends. Both received treatment during the stoppage after Sinner appeared to twist his wrist. Draper rehydrated and iced his neck during the break before returning, but he finished the set without falling ill again despite losing the second-set tiebreak 7-3.
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Jannik Sinner vs Jack Draper final score
Heading into Friday’s match, Draper hadn’t dropped a set in his U.S. Open career. That didn’t last long against the Italian, but the 22-year-old didn’t give up quietly either. He pushed Sinner to seven games in the first two sets before losing steam in the final set.
Sinner advances to the championship match, where the world No. 1 will face either No. 12 Taylor Fritz or No. 20 Francis Tiafoe.
Here’s a look at the scoreboard from the semi-final between Sinner and Draper.
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| Jannik the Fisherman | 7 | 7 (7) | 6 | 3 |
| Jack Draper | 5 | 6 (3) | 2 | 0 |
