Jannik Sinner, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, is on the verge of an impressive feat by potentially claiming all hard court major titles in 2024.

The 23-year-old Italian, who captured his first Grand Slam trophy at this year’s Australian Open, secured his spot in Sunday’s U.S. Open final after defeating Jack Draper, the 25th seed, with scores of 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in the semifinals held on Friday.

It was an unusual afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium where Sinner struggled to find his rhythm while Draper battled severe humidity, leading him to frequently wipe sweat from the court and even vomit twice during the match. The first two sets remained highly competitive until the end.

Sinner leaned on his extensive experience in high-stakes matches to maintain composure under pressure, while Draper faced difficulties in capitalizing on his opportunities to take control of the game.

Despite his success, Sinner encountered challenges himself, appearing to injure his left wrist towards the end of the second set when he tried to avoid falling. However, he managed to continue the match effectively, albeit frequently shaking out his left hand.

This injury could be a significant aspect as he heads into the final against either American player, No. 12 Taylor Fritz or No. 20 Frances Tiafoe.

This was Draper’s first experience at the semifinal level in a Grand Slam. The 22-year-old left-handed player from Great Britain has shown promise in becoming a top contender but has faced difficulties with the physical demands of best-of-five match play, much like Sinner did earlier this year.

Although Draper has improved his stamina and fitness since joining the ATP Tour, the pressure of competing in his first major semifinal exacerbated some of these earlier issues. Despite a relatively pleasant mid-70s temperature, Draper began sweating heavily almost immediately and struggled to maintain a good grip on his racket, even needing to change shoes during the match. He experienced significant stomach discomfort which led to him vomiting on the court in the second set.

Despite these setbacks, he managed to challenge Sinner and keep the score competitive for a time, even under pressure in several service games. However, once Sinner broke to gain a 4-2 advantage in the third set, Draper showed signs of exhaustion, hunched over as he attempted to recover for the final games.

Sinner, who had questions about his fitness until his Australian Open win, will be competing in his second Grand Slam final. He remains undefeated in finals this year, having also won titles in Miami and Cincinnati.

A few days prior to the start of the U.S. Open, the International Tennis Integrity Agency made headlines by announcing that Sinner tested positive for traces of the banned substance clostebol in March but continued to play during his provisional suspension while appealing the decision.

On August 20, the ITIA confirmed Sinner was not at fault for the positive result. He explained that the substance may have entered his system due to a spray his fitness trainer used to treat a cut on his finger, which was then transferred to Sinner during treatment without gloves. This particular spray containing clostebol is available over the counter in Italy.

Several current and former players have voiced concerns about the preferential treatment Sinner received, as he was permitted to continue playing, but Sinner contends that the key difference in his case was the prompt presentation of evidence regarding his trainer’s use of the banned spray.

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