Jack Draper says a combination of testing physical conditions and anxiety led to him throwing up on court in his US Open semi-final defeat to Janik Sinner.
The British no1 fell just short against Sinner in a draining showdown in New York on Friday night where the intense humidity inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium played its part.
Draper was seen being sick three times as he battled through the contest, cleaning up his own vomit before immediately returning to action.
The 22-year-old requested a can of Coke to be brought down onto the court to help ease his nausea but it arrived too late to help with Sinner, who also struggled in the conditions, finding another gear.
Speaking after the match, Draper revealed he felt ‘worse and worse’ after being ill the first time and felt he was ‘unable to move around the court’.
‘You don’t feel better [after being sick the first time]’, he told reporters. ‘You just feel worse and worse, because you can’t put anything in your body.
‘When you’re playing long matches, you need to be able to drink and to eat things and give your body the supplies it needs to keep on going.
‘But obviously when you’re feeling sick, you can’t do that because it just comes straight out and you can’t move around the court. You feel more dizzy and more sick you are, and it’s the worst feeling ever.’
Draper also explained how he is own anxiety issues played its part as an incredibly tense match progressed.
‘It was extremely humid today, as it has been the whole week,’ Draper said.
‘It was a very physical match, this is why Jannik is no1. The top players, it is just different with them. It’s a step up. It is a bigger occasion.
‘I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around.
‘I’m definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. When you add all that together, sometimes I do feel a bit of nausea on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough. I didn’t have any problems before the match but it just built up.’
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