Novak Djokovic threw up, Alexander Zverev sweated through his shoes and Emma Raducanu quit the match due to dizziness. And the bad news for the world’s top tennis players is that even more severe weather awaits in China this week.
Denmark’s Holger Ruhn called the Shanghai Masters’ soaring temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity over 80 percent “extreme.”
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
“Do you want your players to die on the court?” Rune’s question was heard in a tough situation this week.
“Physically it’s very tough,” 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said Tuesday as he battled heat and an ankle injury scare to reach the quarterfinals.
The sickly 38-year-old frequently hunched over and vomited on court between matches against Spain’s Jaume Munar.
Djokovic fell to the court after making one unforced error and remained spread out until doctors arrived, but he pulled himself together and won in three sets.
The draw marked the beginning of the draw for the Serbs, as world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew to rest before the tournament and defending champion Jannik Sinner withdrew from Sunday’s match with cramps.
World No. 3 Zverev lost on Monday, but broke into a sweat during the loss and had to pause to change his shoes.
Spectators at Center Court encouraged fans to apply ice packs to their foreheads to combat the stifling humidity.
The main court in Shanghai has a roof, but it will remain open and will only be closed in case of rain, which is uncertain for the remainder of the tournament.
Luhn called on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the men’s governing body, to introduce heat rules at tournaments like the Shanghai Masters.
The ATP said in a statement that player safety is its top priority and it is considering such a policy.
Currently, decisions affecting play related to weather conditions, including heat, are made by on-site ATP supervisors in conjunction with on-site medical teams and local authorities, the newspaper said.
The weather seemed to have eased slightly in Shanghai on Wednesday, but the predicted high temperature was still 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Celsius).
Temperatures are expected to rise again in the coming days, with a high of 32-33 degrees Celsius (90-91 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, the day of the final.
France’s Arthur Rinderknek, who reached the quarter-finals on Wednesday, said it was not just the players who were suffering.
“It was tough for the ball boys, it was tough for the umpires, it was tough for the fans alike. Everybody was like this all the time. It was really hot and they had the wind in their faces,” he said.
The situation is similarly dire in Wuhan, central China, where top female athletes compete.
Temperatures in both cities are above average for this time of year.
Scientists have consistently warned that human-induced climate change is causing more frequent and intense weather events around the world.
The difference between Wuhan and Shanghai is that the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has a heat policy.
Former Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Jelena Ostapenko withdrew from their match at the WTA Wuhan Open on Tuesday.
Raducanu had his blood pressure and other vitals checked before retiring after complaining of dizziness in the first round.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek called on organizers to consider player safety when scheduling matches on open-air courts.
“I think it’s a little cooler at Center Court because they have air conditioning and other facilities,” she said.
“But we hope that other games will be scheduled at a time when the girls can compete instead of just dying on the court.”
Organizers were forced to apply the WTA’s heat rules on Monday as temperatures soared above 30 degrees, suspending play on outdoor courts.
Heat restrictions were also in place for part of Tuesday.
The policy allows players to take a 10-minute break between the second and third sets and means the center court roof can be partially or completely closed at tournaments to protect players.
The rule is likely to be applied repeatedly this week in Wuhan, where maximum temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees this week, including Sunday’s final.
