NEW YORK — Jannik Sinner has reached the final of the U.S. Open, beating Jack Draper 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 in a semifinal that looked less like a tennis match and more like a miniseries. On a humid afternoon, both players battled physical and mental demons in a contest that lasted more than three hours and pushed them to their limits.

Draper vomited several times on court and was angry at one point, wondering why it kept happening. At the Australian Open in January, he felt sick after his win over Marcus Giron and explained afterwards that it was more a result of mental stress than physical stress.

Draper has struggled with a number of fitness issues in his young career and this felt like the ultimate test against the world No. 1. While he lost the match and struggled with his body at several points, the performance and tournament in his first major semi-final was still extremely encouraging for the 22-year-old.

Meanwhile, Sinner, who fell heavily on his left wrist in one of the tournament’s strangest moments, is in his first US Open final, where he will be the favorite to face Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe.

Jannik Sinner’s tournament briefly seemed in jeopardy after he injured his left wrist. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)

“As we can see, it was a very physical game and I just tried to stay mentally involved,” Sinner said on the pitch.

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

He was also the clear favorite against his good friend and current doubles partner Draper, but from the beginning it felt like a match between equals. Draper lost his serve in the seventh game for only the fourth time in the entire tournament, but was able to hit back immediately. At 5:4, 40:40 on Sinner’s serve, he was still two points away from winning the set before the Italian held on to a long serve and prevailed.

Jack Draper put Jannik Sinner under pressure in the first set until the end. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Sinner didn’t look entirely comfortable – few do against the 1.93 meter tall Draper’s sweeping serve, which is supported by forays to the net that suddenly make the court seem tiny. Even in the long, tough rallies that characterize Sinner’s game, the number 25 kept up with the world number 1 from the baseline. It was only in the 11th game that Draper made three double faults, allowing Sinner to make the decisive break.

GO DEEPER

Britain wants Jack Draper to be its tennis hero, but he feels comfortable in New York

The physicality of the set took its toll on Draper. His shirt was soaked with sweat and on that humid afternoon he was beginning to succumb to the pace Sinner was setting. He faced break points in each of his first three service games of the set but fought them all off – a feature of his run to the semifinals. During the tournament, Draper spoke of finding a way to increase his energy levels at crucial moments; he also spoke of reining himself in during matches to avoid the physical breakdowns he had so often had to deal with in the past.

Halfway through the second set, Draper was sweating so much that his shoes made the court unplayable. His coach, James Trotman, told him to relax, saying Sinner was playing at his peak.

Actually, he wasn’t. Sinner stayed steady, fending off a break point in his first service game of the set and then holding off a few more games with ease. He clearly had the upper hand; in boxing parlance, he would have won on points. But he couldn’t land the knockout punch he needed and as the set dwindled rather than progressed, Draper slowly got back to his best.

Jannik Sinner’s tussling and defense earned him more points than his amazing hitting for most of the match. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)

After a magnificent drop volley, he put his hand to his ear and the crowd gave him what he wanted. It was a throwback to his Wimbledon run as a junior in 2018, when a cocky Draper loved to wow the crowd.

He tends not to do such things anymore as he does not consider it the best use of his energy. A few points later he was ill on the court. Sinner held at 4-4 after deuce and although he was bruised, Draper continued.

In the next game, Sinner and Draper played a stunning point that left both of them in physical therapy. Draper took Sinner to the net and then hit a forehand down the line that was surely out of reach for the Italian. Sinner somehow managed to catch the ball again, but then took an awkward fall as he changed direction, landing heavily on his left wrist.

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

Draper won the game anyway and was given medical attention for his illness, while Sinner was given a medical timeout for his wrist at the same time. When Draper spoke to a ball boy and told him he needed a new pair of shoes, he struggled to get the words out without throwing up.

It felt like the ultimate test for Draper, who has struggled with so many fitness issues in recent years. He shuffled heavily around the court between points. Sinner took his left hand off his backhand with each shot, unable to stand the vibrations from his racket.

Suddenly, it felt like both men were going to struggle to finish the match. When Sinner was down 6-5, Draper was sick again and afterwards let his frustration vent, as if to say, “Why does this keep happening?”

Sinner held on, forced the tiebreak, and then powered through. His wrist seemed to be in better shape than whatever was ailing Draper, as the ball speed on his backhand picked up again.

GO DEEPER

Jannik Sinner built the team that made him number 1 in the world. Then he blew it up

The Briton left the pitch immediately afterwards for a toilet break. He was now on the ropes and a break seemed inevitable as soon as the third set began. Sinner grabbed it with two backhand passing shots while Draper retreated to the baseline and did his best not to collapse.

A few games later, it was all over. The friends hugged at the net, knowing they had shared something they would never forget.

Now Sinner must pull himself together for another fight as he seeks his second Grand Slam of the year.

(Top photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)