In a surprising turn of events during the US Open semifinal on Friday, British tennis player Jack Draper faced a physical setback when he vomited several times on the court while competing against top seed Jannik Sinner.
The first incident went mostly unnoticed, as Draper quickly cleared the area. Shortly after, he vomited again, and again managed to clean it up promptly with a towel. The chair umpire addressed the situation, allowing the match to continue after a discussion with both players.
Later in the game, Draper vomited near the back wall, once more swiftly cleaning the area. Following each incident, the chair umpire ensured that a more thorough cleaning of the court took place during the changeovers.
At the time, Draper, seeded 25th in the tournament, was struggling against Sinner, having lost the first set. It was unclear what caused his distress, although he was seen using ice packs on his neck and appeared pale and fatigued.
Each time Draper was able to clean up quickly with a towel, which allowed play to resume without major interruptions. There was a short halt in action while the umpire informed both players of the situation, ensuring that Sinner was aware of Draper’s condition.
Medical staff attended to both players during the changeover after the second instance, as Sinner had also suffered a fall earlier and appeared to have sustained a left wrist injury.
Had Draper vomited on the actual playing surface, the match would have been paused while grounds crews were called to sanitize the area. The match continues with the winner set to face either Francis Tiafoe or Taylor Fritz, who were scheduled to compete in the evening. The men’s final of the U.S. Open is set for Sunday, where an American player will hope to secure the first men’s title for the U.S. in over two decades.