PARIS — Tennis players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics.
And the 2024 Olympics were held in July and August.
Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) — far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week.
Besides making it uncomfortable for fans and players alike, the sultry conditions have also created faster conditions on court — changing the pace of the game.
“It is much different. Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics, but the balls were different, so I wouldn’t treat it as the same tournament,” four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek said after routing Emerson Jones, 6-1, 6-2, in the first round on Monday.
Players have been putting bags of ice around their necks on changeovers to stay cool, while fans refreshed themselves under sprinklers.
When workers water the clay courts between sets, they have taken to directing their hoses at spectators begging to be doused, too.
“I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros,” Russian-born Australian player Daria Kasatkina said after beating Zeynep Sonmez, 6-4, 6-4. “Maybe one day. But we’re going to have it for the whole week.”
Kasatkina said the energy-sapping temperatures made for more up-and-down matches.
“You can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,” she said. “So this is a battle which you have to also win. ... Whoever adapts better to today’s conditions gets it.”
A retirement and medical timeout
Canadian player Gabriel Diallo said the heat was the main reason why he retired midway through his match against James Duckworth on Sunday.
Both Andrey Rublev and opponent Ignacio Buse called for the trainer on separate occasions during the second set of their three-hour, 39-minute match on Monday, which Rublev won in four sets.
Buse took a medical timeout, and had salts and minerals added to his water bottle as a stethoscope was placed on his chest. Rublev received treatment a few games later.
Also during the same match, a weary looking ball girl had to be helped off the court and received medical attention.
Heat protocol
The French Open is usually cool compared to the heat at the Australian Open and US Open.
But like in Australia and New York, the French Open has adopted an extreme weather policy.
If the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) — which takes into account temperature, humidity, sun, wind and other factors — reaches 30.1 degrees C (86 F) or higher, 10-minute cooling breaks can be installed between the second and third sets for women’s matches and between the third and fourth sets for men’s matches. AP
