Rune fiercely criticized the ATP for lacking a heat rule, claiming they want players to suffer from the heat. Is the Dane's statement completely accurate?

Since the Shanghai Masters began this year, repeated hot weather has indirectly reduced the excitement of the competition. Judging from public opinion, criticism appears aimed at the Shanghai event organizers, but the ATP is also not without fault. The Dane Rune is one who thinks this way.

After Rune defeated the French player Humbert in straight sets to move on to the next round, although the win looked relatively easy, the process was actually quite dangerous.

When Rune suffered from heatstroke halfway through the first set, many believed Humbert’s chance had arrived. Broadcast footage showed medical staff checking Rune’s blood pressure, and the Dane was sitting shirtless at the court side rehydrating, appearing extremely exhausted and seemingly close to withdrawing.

People expected that such a distressing scene of Rune would shift the match momentum and allow Humbert to take revenge, but unexpectedly, Rune recovered well physically and defeated Humbert in straight sets, maintaining a 5-0 winning record against the Frenchman.

Seeing how hard Rune fought to win this match, many assumed he would rest quickly afterward. However, one comment from him sparked renewed debate about Shanghai’s extreme heat and pushed the ATP into the center of public scrutiny.

“Why doesn’t the ATP have a heat rule? Do you want players to die on the court?” Rune’s words caused a huge stir. Previously, many blamed the players’ frequent health issues on Shanghai’s harsh heat and questioned the organizers’ inflexibility. Rune’s perspective took a different angle by directly targeting the ATP, suddenly making many people realize the core issue, which explains the public reaction.

After Rune’s criticism of the ATP, many asked: What exactly is the heat rule? If this rule is so important for players, how could the ATP not have one?

In fact, the heat rule can be simply summarized as measures taken by relevant authorities “to prevent players from suffering heatstroke, dehydration, and other health risks in hot conditions.”

It generally includes three types: suspending matches; allowing extra breaks during matches; using roofs or adjusting the schedule.

Of course, all three are only implemented when the temperature or perceived heat reaches the athletes’ tolerance limits. Especially suspending matches and rescheduling indicate severe heat impact, requiring organizers to delay play until conditions are cooler and more bearable for players.

Looking at the heat rule’s details, each measure aims to protect players and prevent accidents during extreme heat, ensuring both the match’s quality and the players’ health safety.

Some say although Rune is often controversial, he stood up for his fellow players at a critical moment. Simply by voicing concerns about competing in harsh heat, many people’s impressions of him have changed significantly.

Some even openly state that as a well-known player, Rune has directly pointed out a major issue with the ATP given Shanghai’s current heat, which might prompt the authorities to take it seriously and implement the heat rule soon, benefiting players’ protection and healthy competition.

Although Rune’s remarks have gained much support and response, it would be unfair to say the ATP has never implemented any heat rules.

According to related data, at the 2023 Australian Open, when temperatures reached 36 degrees, the ATP immediately suspended all outdoor matches and closed the roof; at the 2018 US Open, the ATP introduced a heat suspension policy for the first time, allowing players to request a 10-minute break between the third and fourth sets.

So, since such heat rules have been applied before, why does Rune still criticize the ATP for lacking a heat rule?

The main reason is the lack of consensus!

For example, media reports have stated that “players generally feel the ATP’s rules lack clear temperature thresholds and mandatory enforcement.” It is said that Zverev even strongly called for automatic suspension at 40 degrees, but his suggestion was not adopted by the authorities.

Insiders reveal that although the 2018 US Open pioneered allowing male players to request match suspensions due to heat, the decision to enforce it remains with the tournament organizers. This likely explains why after suffering heatstroke and finishing his match, Rune harshly criticized the ATP for having no heat rule, questioning “Do you want players to die on the court?” such a heartfelt complaint.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonriver’s Starry Sky)