Tennis Confronts its Heat Crisis

Tennis at Boiling Point: Players Plead for Safety in Extreme Heat

A stark question hung in the humid Shanghai air, cutting through the typical sounds of a high-stakes tennis match. A plea about whether a player needed to perish on the court was directed at an official by Holger Rune, his body draped in ice towels while a doctor assessed his vital signs. This was not a moment of theatrical frustration. It was a raw appeal from an elite athlete pushed to his physical edge, crystallising a crisis point for a global sport that chases the sun into increasingly hostile climates.

The scenes during competition in Shanghai and at the concurrent event in Wuhan painted a vivid picture of a sport at war with the weather. Players were vomiting, cramping so severely they could not walk, and retiring with dizziness and heatstroke. Temperatures soared above 34C with humidity levels exceeding 80%, creating a brutal cauldron for athletes near the conclusion of a gruelling season. As the world gets hotter, these incidents have become a troubling norm, forcing players, organisers, and fans to question the sustainability of tennis in its current form.

The Crucible in China

The tour's Asian leg became a focal point for the escalating health crisis. In Shanghai, Novak Djokovic described the environment as "brutal" after he was seen vomiting on court during a physically punishing match. Jannik Sinner of Italy, who holds the second spot in global rankings, withdrew from his match after collapsing with cramps so severe he was left unable to walk off the court unaided. His opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, acknowledged the severity, stating, "Brutal conditions here in Shanghai all week already." The list of casualties grew daily as players succumbed to the oppressive environment.

Simultaneously, in Wuhan just 500 miles away, the WTA circuit faced identical challenges. Former Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Jelena Ostapenko both retired from their matches. Raducanu was treated for dizziness, while Ostapenko later confirmed she experienced heat stroke. Organisers had to halt competition on external courts and shut the primary stadium's roof, a tacit admission that the conditions were unplayable.

A Chorus of Concerned Voices

The alarming spate of illnesses and retirements triggered an outcry from top players. Iga Swiatek, who is second in the world rankings, used her platform after a comfortable win in Wuhan to advocate for player safety. She expressed her gratitude for playing on a day with slightly less oppressive heat, adding that she hoped matches would be arranged for times when competitors could perform properly instead of merely surviving. Her comments highlighted a growing consensus among players that their health was being compromised.

Holger Rune was particularly vocal, repeatedly questioning the ATP's lack of a formal heat rule, a stark contrast to the policies in place at Grand Slams and on the WTA Tour. His pointed questions to officials during medical timeouts exposed a critical vulnerability in the men's game. The Dane insisted that every player would support the introduction of a rule, emphasising that while athletes are strong, a threshold always exists. The message was clear: a sport's traditions of toughness cannot supersede fundamental duties of care.

The Body Under Duress

Playing tennis in extreme heat pushes the human body into a perilous red zone. The sport's combination of high-intensity sprints, explosive movements, and endurance rallies generates immense internal heat. An athlete's core body temperature, normally around 37C, can climb to dangerous levels. The body’s primary cooling mechanism, sweating, becomes less effective in high humidity because the sweat cannot evaporate efficiently from the skin. This can result in a cascade of physiological problems.

Sweating causes a depletion of essential fluids and electrolytes, which can trigger severe muscle cramps, as seen with Jannik Sinner. As dehydration sets in, blood volume decreases, forcing the heart to pump more forcefully to get blood to the muscles and skin. This strain can result in heat exhaustion, with symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and increased breathlessness. If left untreated, this can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening medical emergency where the body's temperature regulation system fails completely.

A Patchwork of Policies

A significant part of the problem lies in the sport's fragmented governance. The four Grand Slams, the ATP (men's tour), and the WTA (women's tour) all operate with different rules regarding extreme heat. Officials at the Australian Open use the most sophisticated system, a five-point scale measuring heat stress that considers air temperature, humidity, sun radiation, and the velocity of the wind. When the scale gets to its maximum reading, play is suspended. The other Slams have similar, if slightly different, policies.

For female players, a pause of ten minutes is offered between the second and third sets when a specific index that gauges heat stress is reached, and play will be suspended at a higher threshold. In stark contrast, the men's ATP Tour currently has no formal, codified heat rule. Halting play rests with the tournament supervisor present, in collaboration with medical personnel. This glaring inconsistency has been the source of intense player frustration and is being actively examined by the ATP.

Australia's Extreme Heat Precedent

The Grand Slam event in Australia, often played under scorching summer skies, provides a case study in managing heat. The tournament has faced numerous heatwaves, including a notorious one in 2014 where temperatures exceeded 43C, causing players to collapse and a plastic water bottle to melt on the court surface. These experiences prompted the development of its comprehensive scale for heat-related stress. This proactive policy allows for a more objective and consistent approach, removing some of the ambiguity that plagues other tournaments.

The scale allows for incremental interventions. At level four, a ten-minute pause is triggered between sets should an athlete ask for it. At the most extreme level, five, play is halted on all outside courts. The partial closure of roofs on the primary show courts also offers another layer of protection. While no system is perfect, the Australian Open's model is frequently cited by players and pundits as the standard the entire sport should adopt to protect its athletes.

Climate Change: The Unseen Opponent

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events is not a coincidence. An analysis by the Associated Press revealed that average high temperatures at all four Grand Slam tournaments have steadily risen in recent decades, reflecting the broader impacts of climate change. The study found that maximum temperatures at the majors have collectively risen by nearly 3 degrees Celsius since 1988. The Melbourne-based Grand Slam has seen the most rapid increase. This warming trend poses an existential threat to a sport whose calendar is built around outdoor summer events.

Scientists and sports analysts warn that without significant changes, major tournaments could face widespread disruption. One study projected that the Cincinnati Open, a major US tournament, could see half of its matches cancelled due to climate-related weather disruptions by 2033. The sport of tennis, which travels across continents, is now finding that its greatest asset has become its greatest liability. The calendar itself may no longer be fit for purpose in an overheating world.

The Scheduling and Economic Dilemma

The logical question is why tournaments are held in these locations at these times. The answer lies in a complex mix of logistics, tradition, and economics. The tour's leg in Asia during October exists because competing outside across numerous European and North American locations becomes unreliable due to rain and cold. To host a large-scale event like a Masters 1000, which can require dozens of courts for a draw with 96 competitors, outdoor venues are a necessity, as hardly any indoor facilities can accommodate such a footprint.

This scheduling allows the tour to operate nearly year-round in outdoor conditions. However, this model was created in a different climate reality. Shifting the calendar is a monumental task, involving television rights, sponsorship deals, and the intricate coordination of over 60 tournaments across the globe. Proposals to move events to cooler months or schedule more night matches are being discussed, but any change would have significant financial and logistical repercussions for the entire tennis ecosystem.

An Ethos of Endurance Under Scrutiny

For decades, tennis has cultivated an ethos of "survival of the fittest." Enduring brutal conditions was seen as part of the mental and physical challenge that separated champions from the rest. An intermission following two sets was sometimes viewed as undermining this test of resilience. That traditionalist outlook, however, is beginning to crumble in the face of overwhelming evidence that player health is at serious risk. The conversation is shifting from endurance to endangerment.

The new generation of players, backed by sports science and a greater awareness of long-term health, is less willing to accept these risks as part of the job. The incidents in Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Wuhan have demonstrated that the issue is not about a lack of toughness but about the human body's physiological limits. The sport is slowly recognising that no glory can be found in winning a match if it comes at the cost of an athlete’s wellbeing.

The Path Forward: A Call for Unity and Action

The crisis has sparked urgent calls for a unified and proactive approach. The most immediate demand is for the men's tour to implement a formal heat policy consistent with the WTA and the Grand Slams. A formal statement from the ATP confirmed the matter is being actively considered and that an official policy is being assessed with input from athletes and medical specialists. Beyond that, players are suggesting smaller adjustments, such as allowing more time between points on hot days to use towels or catch their breath.

Long-term solutions may require more radical thinking, including a complete overhaul of the tennis calendar to avoid playing in peak heat seasons. Increased investment in stadiums with retractable roofs and better cooling technologies is another potential avenue. Ultimately, the sport's fragmented governing bodies must work together. The health of the players, the integrity of the competition, and the future of the sport in a changing climate depend on their ability to act decisively and collectively. The time for discussion is over; the moment for action has arrived.