The first semi-final of the 2024 US Open between Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper was played in very difficult conditions. The heat and humidity made Arthur Ashe Stadium a hell of a pit, and both players struggled to express their best tennis. The match turned into a resistance war, especially in the first two sets, which were very balanced (although full of errors).
The Italian ace made a difference in the decisive moments and – after the tiebreak of the second set – the young Briton literally collapsed in the third set. Jack gave clear signs of fatigue already from the middle of the second set and vomited on the court, a further testimony to how extreme conditions were yesterday in New York.
Draper certainly played the best tournament of his career and has shown that he can become a champion if he improves some aspects of his game. The British player is still very young, but he has all the weapons needed to make a difference at the highest levels. Jack took advantage of the space left by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who was eliminated in the second round and offered a chance to several players. Draper was the best at taking advantage of it and left the tournament with great confidence.
Tough conditions
Draper was exhausted at the end of his match against Sinner in New York and he practically did not play in the third set, being without energy. “That’s how Draper finished the game. Totally broken and without strength. He even vomited several times due to the intense humidity and heat. I think it will not be his last Grand Slam semifinal (watch out for Wimbledon), but he still suffers physically during long matches or tournaments. If he improves this, he will make a big leap forward,” wrote top analyst José Moron.
During the press conference, Jack explained what happened on court: “It was a very physical match. That’s why Jannik is the world number 1, because when you play against top players, the intensity is different, it’s a step up. It’s a big occasion for me and, although I generally feel quite relaxed, today I felt more nervous. I’m a very anxious person, and when you add all of that, sometimes I feel nauseous on the court and not quite right when things get tougher. I didn’t have issues before the match; it was something that built up”.
The British player needs more experience in Grand Slam tournaments: “I’m gaining more and more experience as a player, and that’s what’s helping me feel better this season. The more experiences you have in different situations, the easier things become. You have to take everything easy. Jannik has been in this situation several times already, so he can relate to the feelings. […] I have a very strong mentality and spend a lot of mental energy because I crave things a lot. Although that doesn’t help much sometimes, especially in these 5-set matches. That anxiety can accumulate. It’s a strength, but also a weakness, and I need to work on it”.
He also talked about Sinner: “Jannik already has a lot of experience, and the reason he’s the world number 1 and hardly loses matches is because he’s very consistent. His intensity, ball speed… He hardly has weaknesses and can hang in there point by point and elevate his level when needed. He’s always improving mentally, physically, and emotionally and is solid as a rock in all areas. He’s hard to beat”. If he continues to improve and gain more experience, Draper will be able to achieve great results in the ATP tour and win important titles.
A remarkable potential
Speaking with Eurosport, tennis legend John McEnroe opened up on the Brit: “Jack has had some hard luck with injuries and he had some issues with his fitness stepping up into the big time. With Andy Murray retiring, he had to step up into that role in British tennis and that is not easy at all.
He has benefitted from a favourable draw at this year’s US Open, but I feel like he is playing the game with a little more abandon now and that is helping him. He is using his height to his advantage and to me, he still has a tendency to stand too far back as he has a big game and needs to use it.
Being a lefty helps as players don’t see that too often, so he has a lot going for him. I knew he was going to be good and one area where he has impressed me at the US Open is with his movement. That makes me think he could become a regular in the top ten of the rankings from now on.”
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