Jannik Sinner into U.S. Open final after beating Jack Draper in strange match

NEW YORK — Jannik Sinner is through to the U.S. Open final, a 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 winner against Jack Draper in a semifinal that felt less tennis match and more drama miniseries. On a humid afternoon, both players had to battle physical and mental demons in a contest that lasted more than three hours and pushed them to their limits.

Draper vomited multiple times on the court, looking angry at one point as to why it kept happening. At the Australian Open in January, he was sick at the end of his win over Marcus Giron, and explained afterwards that it had been a result of psychological rather than physical stress. Following this defeat to Sinner, Draper said that anxiety had played a part.

“I’m definitely quite an anxious human being,” he said.

“I think when you add all that together sometimes I do feel a bit of nausea on court, I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough.”

Draper has had a number of fitness issues in his young career, and so this felt like the ultimate test against the world No 1. He may have lost the match and had to battle his body at numerous points, but this was still a hugely encouraging performance and tournament for the 22-year-old in his first major semifinal. There will be more concern over the nerves that gripped him, though he said afterwards that he hoped with more experience, it will be less of an issue.

Meanwhile Sinner, who fell heavily on his left wrist in one of the strangest points of the tournament, is through to a first U.S. Open final.

“It was a very physical match, and I just tried to stay there mentally,” Sinner said on court, before playing down concerns over his wrist in his press conference.

“Hopefully it’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m quite relaxed, because if it’s something bad, you feel it straight away.”

Assuming the injury doesn’t turn out to be anything significant, Sinner will be the favourite in Sunday’s final against either Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe.

“It was a very physical match as we see, and I just tried to stay there mentally,” Sinner said on court.

“I’m just happy to be in the final,” Sinner said. “Wherever it is, it’s going to be a big challenge for me. Finals are very special days.”

He was a big favourite against his good friend and recent doubles partner Draper too, but from the very start, this felt like a contest between equals. Draper lost his serve for only the fourth time all tournament in the seventh game, but then immediately broke back. Up 5-4, 40-40 on the Sinner serve, he was two points away from the set before the Italian toughed out a long rally and clung on.

Jack Draper pushed Jannik Sinner all the way in the first set. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Sinner didn’t look entirely comfortable — few do against the 6 feet 4 inches Draper’s swinging serve, backed up by forays to the net that make the court look suddenly tiny. Even in the long, bang-bang tennis rallies that are the bedrock of Sinner’s game, the No. 25 seed was living with the world No. 1 from the baseline. It took Draper double-faulting three times in the 11th game for Sinner to get the decisive break.

GO DEEPER

Britain wants Jack Draper to be its tennis hero, but he’s feeling himself in New York

The physicality of the set took a lot out of Draper. His shirt was drenched in sweat, and on a muggy afternoon, he slowly succumbed to the pace that Sinner was setting. He faced break points in each of his opening three service games of the set, but fended all of them off — doing so has been a feature of his run to the semifinals. During the tournament, Draper has spoken about his finding a way to raise his energy levels at crucial moments; he’s also talked about pacing himself in matches to avoid the physical breakdowns he’s so often had to manage in the past. But Friday was a “step up,” Draper said.

“When you play the top players, the intensity is different.” 

By the middle of the second set, Draper was sweating so much that his shoes had made the court unplayable. His coach James Trotman told him to relax, and said that Sinner was playing to his maximum level.

He wasn’t really. Sinner was staying steady, saving a break point in his first service game of the set, and then holding easily for a couple more games. He clearly had the upper hand; in boxing terms, he would have been winning on points. But he couldn’t find the knockout punch he needed, and as the set ebbed on, rather than flowing, Draper was creeping back up to his best level.

Jannik Sinner’s scrambling and defense won him more points than his prodigious ballstriking for most of the match. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)

After a delicious stop volley, he put his hand to his ear and the crowd gave him what he wanted. It was a throwback to his junior Wimbledon run of 2018, when a swaggering Draper loved working the crowd.

He tends not to do that sort of thing anymore, not considering it the best use of his energy. A few points later he was sick on the court. Sinner held for 4-4 from deuce, and though he was ailing, Draper carried on.

In the next game, Sinner and Draper played a stunning point that would leave both of them needing the physio. Draper brought Sinner up to the net, and then guided a forehand down the line, surely out of the Italian’s reach. Sinner somehow recovered it, and then fell awkwardly while changing direction, landing heavily on his left wrist.

The ball soared into the air. Draper waited underneath it. Sinner had time to shake out his left wrist before putting both hands back on his racket. Draper played a considered overhead; Sinner cracked a forehand past him like a race car; the crowd erupted and Sinner doubled over in pain.

Draper still won the game, receiving medical attention for sickness while Sinner simultaneously had a medical timeout for his wrist. When Draper spoke to a ballperson to tell them that he needed a new pair of shoes, he was struggling to get the words out without being sick.

It felt like the ultimate test for Draper, who has had to battle so many fitness issues over the last few years. He lumbered about the court between points. Sinner was taking his left hand off his backhand every time he hit it, unable to handle the vibrations of his racket.

It suddenly felt as if both men might struggle to finish the match. With Sinner serving down 6-5, Draper was sick again, venting his frustration afterwards as if to say, ‘why does this keep happening?’

Sinner held, forced the tiebreak, and then raced through it. His wrist appeared to be in better shape than whatever it was Draper was suffering from, as the ball speed of his backhand revved up again.

GO DEEPER

Jannik Sinner built the team that made him world No. 1. Then he blew it up

The Brit left the court for a bathroom break as soon as it was done. He was on the ropes now, and a break felt inevitable as soon as the third set began. Sinner grabbed it with two backhand passing shots, as Draper retreated to the baseline and did his best not to collapse.

A couple of games later and it was all over. The friends embraced at the net, knowing they had shared something they would never forget. Draper will hope that this match becomes a valuable experience, rather than one that leaves him more anxious when he next finds himself in the final stages of a Grand Slam. Sinner, for his part, is convinced that this run is just the start for Draper, who will on Monday enter the top 20 in the rankings for the first time.

“There are some feelings you have with certain players, and he is one of them,” Sinner said.

“Everyone has his own time and way and path.

“But I’m quite sure, because I know that he’s potentially winning some big titles in the future, because he’s a tough player to play against, he has a great attitude on the court, he’s working hard.”

Sinner now needs to raise himself for one more battle as he looks for his second Grand Slam of the year.

(Top photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)