‘Nervous tension’: Why US Open star Jack Draper keeps throwing up during big matches

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — As Jack Draper stepped up to serve in the third set of his US Open first round match against Federico Agustín Gómez on Monday, the British star threw up on court.

It was a moment that brought back unwanted memories of his US Open run last year, when the 23-year-old reached the first semifinal of his fledgling career.

During that defeat to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, Draper battled yet more sickness on court, vomiting three times in the biggest match of his life to date.

It followed a trend of Draper struggling with nausea in big moments on court and it’s one he’s vowed to better understand.

Speaking to reporters after his win on Monday, Draper put his latest bout of sickness down to a combination of different things.

“I felt physically fine,” he told reporters. “I’ve always had some problems with my gut, so, you know, it could be a little bit of just getting out there again, a bit of nervous tension.

“But, yeah, it wasn’t kind of affecting me at all. I wasn’t physically struggling or anything. It was just that I have had problems with my gut over time, so it’s probably that.”

In recent years, Draper has established himself as a true contender at these major tournaments. He’s one of the players battling it out below Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, bidding to close the gap on his two rivals – the clear best-of-the-best in men’s tennis.

In order to do so, Draper has undergone a physical transformation this year, an area of his game perhaps lacking in previous seasons.

There was a thought that his previous sickness bouts were partly due to his body struggling to keep up with the demands on the sport, further exacerbated by the high temperatures that players often compete in at the grand slams.

But now, as the result of hours spent training in the gym, Draper boasts an imposing frame with biceps visibly bulging from underneath his t-shirt.

Understanding his ‘anxiety’

His fitness, one would imagine, is no longer the issue, and yet the sickness is still there. The reason, then, is perhaps something Draper identified himself at last year’s US Open.

“I’m definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being,” he told reporters after his semifinal defeat last year.

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

After his sickness against Sinner in last year’s semifinal, Draper said he would “really look into” the mental side of his game.

Feeling nausea and sickness is one of the many symptoms that come with anxiety and Draper has long been aware that it’s something that’s been present in his life both on and off the court.

“I’m an athlete, I’m a tennis player, and there are so many athletes out there, we’ve all got things we’re working through all the time,” he told reporters last year.

“Tennis especially, or just any sport, is hugely mental and physical. I try my best all the time to keep on evolving, to keep on learning, and it’s definitely something I’ve had to just work through my whole entire life.

“I think I’ve got quite a strong mentality and I use up a lot of mental energy a lot of the time because I want it so badly.

“But, obviously, that doesn’t necessarily help a lot of the times, especially in these five-set matches and that sort of anxiety and those feelings can build up. So it’s definitely just something that is a real strength of mine but also a weakness, and I have to continue to work on it.”

Ahead of this year’s tournament, the British star said he was leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit to getting better, but it seems like there is still a way to go before he resolves the sickness issue.

Draper is also managing an arm injury which has forced him to hold back on hitting his serves as fast as he can.

But the world No. 5 is committed to giving his all on the court and will be favorite to win his second round match against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs on Wednesday.

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