Rewind 12 months, and the overriding memory of Jack Draper’s time down under was not one for the squeamish. In the first round, the Brit defeated Marcos Giron in three hours and 20 minutes for his first five-set victory. But there was no time for rapturous celebration – and barely any time for a handshake at the net.
Draper quickly ran to a courtside bin to vomit, amid 30C temperatures in the Melbourne sun. Earlier in the match, his pulse and blood pressure were taken before he admirably recovered from a deficit on the scoreboard. It would not be his first conditioning issue of 2024: Draper was sick on the court during his US Open semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner in September as well.
