Jack Draper has admitted that anxiety might have come over him during his defeat to Jannik Sinner at the US Open.
The 22-year-old threw up three times on court but still managed to push the world No. 1 all the way in the first two sets, ultimately losing both and then the third in a 7-5 7-6 6-2 defeat.
It was a gallant effort by the young Briton in his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final while he admitted that the occasion might have been too big after he threw up three times on court.
“Especially in these five-set matches that sort of anxiety and those feelings can build up,” Draper said.
Jack Draper has admitted he is 'quite an anxious person'
US Open
"I think obviously it's a big occasion for me. I definitely felt, even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around.
“I'm definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. I think when you add all that together sometimes I do feel a bit 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 obviously just built up.”
Draper had reached the semi-final in remarkable fashion, having not dropped a set throughout the tournament before facing Sinner.
The British No. 1 has always come across well in interviews and carries a chilled-out persona, which helps him on court to remain focused.
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But facing the best player in the world with a shot at the US Open title in the offing is enough to stress anyone out - even the coolest of cucumbers.
And Draper has admitted he is still learning to cope that level of stress but he is getting there after what has been a steep learning curve.
“Definitely I'm getting more and more experience as a player,” he said.
“That's the one thing that's helping me this year and helping me to feel better in general is the more experiences you have of situations, the easier things become.
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“You just take it all in your stride. Obviously Jannik's been in this situation a few times now so he can sort of relate to maybe the feelings.
“It's difficult. Obviously 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. Tennis, or just any sport, is hugely mental and physical.
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“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 but 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, you know, is a real strength of mine but also a weakness, and I have to continue to work on it.”
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