Jack Draper put his heart and soul into the gladiatorial battle with world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday, giving Britain a glimpse of a very bright future.

Draper went through all sorts of emotions during his 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 defeat to Sinner. He vomited several times due to the heat and humidity, which left his shirt soaked with sweat.

The second set was one of the most grueling, emotionally draining, gladiatorial and surreal tennis sets we’ve seen at the tournament.

Blood, sweat, vomit, tears, humidity and endurance in a battle of the strongest.

The second set will be remembered for a long time, with Draper exhausted as he braved the conditions, sweating profusely and at one point even having to change his soaked shoes halfway through the match.

Draper struggled with his serve and faced break points in five consecutive games, but he showed courage and determination to take on Sinner.

The young Brit threw up on the backcourt, then used his towel to mop himself up and put it back in his box. Not the most hygienic method!

“Sometimes when it’s humid, like it is with all the sweat, you can almost drink too much water and it sits in your stomach. I think Draper threw up twice as much,” Tim Henman said on Sky Sport Tennis.

Commentator Jonathan Overend added: “Poor guy. I mean, when you feel that, that happens, you have to sort it out yourself, you have to keep playing against the world number 1.”

The next match saw more drama as Sinner fell awkwardly at the baseline and put his weight on his left wrist, with the physiotherapist quickly out for the top seed while the doctor attended to Draper. “But for who, Chris Kamara?” joked Laura Robson on the sidelines, referencing Jeff Stelling’s famous Football Saturday interactions with Kamara.

A gruelling 87-minute set had taken its toll on Draper, who left the court for a rest while the physiotherapist returned to massage Sinner’s thighs.

The Italian mercilessly dashed any hopes Draper had of a comeback as he won the third set effortlessly and safely.

Draper was ranked 123rd when he made an inspiring run to the fourth round last year despite an injury-plagued season.

He’s had an incredible performance in New York and there are plenty of positives to take away, including being the first Briton to reach the semi-finals here since Andy Murray won the tournament 12 years ago.

Murray has since left the stage. He was the face of British tennis for a long time, leaving a void that Draper is determined to fill.

“I just have to keep learning, keep growing and face situations like today where I get stuck,” he said.

“It’s about gaining experience, doing the right things, training consistently and over time you get better, you get stronger and you get better.

“Hopefully I’ll get into these kinds of situations more often and be able to overcome them.”

Sinner will face American Taylor Fritz in the final on Sunday, but does the Italian world number 1 also have weak points?

“He doesn’t have many, mate. One. I don’t know. Maybe he’s too nice,” Draper added.

Bartoli on how Draper can become a top player

Marion Bartoli on Jack Draper, speaking to Sky Sports:

“Draper teaches a lot. You learn from playing against the best. They show you your weaknesses and where they are better,” said the former Wimbledon champion.

“Sinner’s first serve percentage was much better and he went for more. The forehand was on average 6-8 mph faster than Jack throughout the match.

“It just wears you out, because you have to keep up the pace and be very strong physically.

“Then Sinner moved better physically during the match. So those are the two elements with which he can make a huge step forward.

“He can already do a lot and if he can do those two things even better, he can become one of the five best players for me.”

Henman: Onwards and upwards for Draper

Tim Henman, speaking to Sky Sports:

“Sinner played the better tennis. It was really about Sinner playing better tennis at the most important moments,” said the six-time Grand Slam semifinalist.

“There were some ups and downs in the first set, but there was a lot of drama at the end of the first and second set. That’s when Sinner showed his class, with his ball landing on both wings.

“He made the rallies physical and that was too much for Jack. He will learn so much from this.

“Being in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time is a huge step. Onwards and upwards.”

What’s on Sky Sports Tennis in September?

• Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (September 9-15)
• Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (September 9-15)
• Korea Open – WTA 500 (September 16 – 22 – with Emma Raducanu in action)
• Thailand Open – WTA 250 (16 -22 September)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched, integrating into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sport at no extra cost this year. Find out more here.