July 30th 2024.
Jack Draper found himself struggling to stay calm and composed amidst the sweltering heat in Paris. As he competed at the Olympics, he couldn't help but notice that the tennis stars had no choice but to drink hot water due to the intense temperatures in the city. Unfortunately for the Team GB star, his journey at the Olympics came to an end on Tuesday as he was knocked out of the men's singles.
In the first set, the British No.1 managed to secure a win against seventh seed Taylor Fritz, but Fritz quickly took control and won the remaining sets, 6-3, 6-2. Like many others, Draper had a hard time coping with the scorching conditions at Roland Garros, with the temperature soaring to 36 degrees Celsius. He followed The Agency's live blog for updates on the Paris 2024 Olympics, but it wasn't enough to ease his disappointment.
After his elimination, Draper acknowledged that playing in such extreme heat was part of the game. However, he also expressed his frustration towards the organisers for not providing proper means to keep the players' water cool. He stated, "It was tough conditions, there's no doubt about it. I need to play more in this sort of heat, and obviously, going to America, I'll get more used to that. It was really hot out there today."
Draper's exit also marked the end of Team GB's involvement in the tennis singles competition. He commented on his match against Fritz, saying, "We were both trying our best to put out some good tennis. Part of it's physicality, but I said to the referee, it's pretty poor that the players have to drink hot water when we're playing in those conditions. It's important we have good fridges to keep our water cool. It's so tough to recover when you're just not replenishing properly."
However, instead of providing fridges, the organisers had opted for refillable bottles and water fountains in an effort to make the Paris 2024 Olympics the greenest games in history. This decision did not sit well with Draper and his fellow players, who were struggling to stay hydrated in the scorching heat. He stated, "There's no escape from the heat, even at the change of ends. I haven't played in much hotter conditions than that. Your body starts to really fight against you."
Draper also expressed his disappointment towards the lack of proper breaks for the players to refill their water and rest. He stated, "We shouldn't have to fill our water up every change of ends, we need to sit down. It's not good enough. I just think it's pretty poor that they put the players through that on court."
Draper was not the only tennis star left fuming on Tuesday. Coco Gauff, the US flagbearer, was also eliminated from the women's singles competition and was seen in tears. She blamed the umpire for her loss, exclaiming, "I'm getting cheated!" The intense heat and poor conditions on the court affected many players, and it was clear that the organisers needed to do more to ensure the well-being of the athletes.
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