"Jack Draper's coach is a right a**hole"; "Spoiling a good match" - Fans slam James Trotman for on-court coaching during Brit's US Open SF

Jack Draper’s coach, James Trotman, is often a vocal presence during his protege's matches, and his animated support was on full display during the Brit's semifinal clash against Jannik Sinner at the 2024 US Open. However, many tennis fans were unhappy with that.

Draper’s run in New York has been nothing short of a fairytale. He kicked off his campaign with a dominant win over Zhang Zhizhen (retired). He followed that up by defeating Facundo Diaz, Botic van de Zandschulp, Tomas Machac, and Alex de Minaur, all in straight sets, to secure a spot in the semifinals.

Draper faced his doubles partner Sinner in the last four. Despite a valiant effort, the Brit dropped the first two sets. He also started feeling unwell at the end of the second set, vomiting on the court and receiving medical treatment from the physio. The score stands at 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-2 in the Italian's favor at the time of writing.

The No. 25 seed's coach, James Trotman, remained supportive throughout, frequently encouraging him between points. He also provided key advice, including suggesting a racket change.

Tennis fans were not pleased with Trotman's frequent interruptions, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration. One user wrote:

"Nothing against Jack Draper, but good lord can ESPN please move the mic away from his coach/box having to hear everything he says is insufferable."

"Draper coach James Trotman is a right a**hole isn't he...Using trash-talking to motivate Draper is the dumbest s*it I ever heard," another wrote.

One account posted:

"If I were Jack Draper, I would throw my racquet up to that coach and tell him to come and play him. They will have earpieces next for instructions on how to play. Another sport ruined."

"Hey @usopen, can you please move the microphone away from Jack Drapers coach? It's annoying the crap out of me," one user wrote.

"Wish Jack Drapers coach would shut the f*ck up," another tweeted.

One account chimed in:

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Jack Draper's coach on his US Open 2024 run: "Pretty surreal, it still hasn't quite sunk in"

Draper pictured at the 2024 US Open | Image Source: Getty

After Jack Draper reached his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the 2024 US Open with a victory over Alex de Minaur, his coach James Trotman described his run as "surreal" in an interview. He added that the achievement hadn't fully "sunk in."

"Pretty surreal, to be honest with you. It still hasn't quite sunk in," Trotman said (via Reuters).

He added:

"He's maturing all the time. He understands that he can't go out and burn all of his energy and all of his emotions early on. It's just a sign, I think, that he's becoming more comfortable on this stage and playing with the best players in the world."

Draper's run at Flushing Meadows made him the first British man to reach the last four since Andy Murray won the title 12 years ago. Should he manage to overcome Jannik Sinner, he will face either Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe in the championship match.