The Cincinnati "US Open Barometer" slogan has been parodied by netizens, and the new slogan has become a sensation overnight.

The ATP/WTA 1000 Cincinnati tournament, known as the "US Open Barometer," likely did not foresee that after its significant upgrade, this long-outdated slogan would be subject to ridicule by netizens this year, resulting in a new slogan that gained considerable popularity.

The unexpected change of the "US Open Barometer" slogan is associated with the frequent issues caused by high temperatures. Naturally, there may also be some problems with the event organizers behind this.

Since the start of this year's Cincinnati tournament, high temperatures have become one of the frequently mentioned hot topics. As more and more players fell victim to the heat, netizens began to think that the "US Open Barometer" slogan should be revised to “Whoever can simmer in a hot pot will make it to New York.” which seems most appropriate.

This golden phrase has left many people amazed, stating, "This change truly reflects the situation at this year's Cincinnati event."

Russian star Andrey Rublev has been labeled by the public as the first victim of the high temperatures at Cincinnati.

The reason is that to combat the heat and keep the match going while staying alert to avoid elimination, he had to bring the ice bucket challenge to the tournament venue.

Rublev's actions prompted many fans and netizens to call him a dedicated player, while also admitting that whether the match was exciting was no longer important; at least this effort was worth the ticket price.

Former hard court king Daniil Medvedev was another victim of the heat.

In his match against Walton, given the Russian's strength on hard courts, he was expected to advance smoothly without any suspense. However, no one anticipated that after taking the first set in a tiebreak, Medvedev would start to falter, performing increasingly poorly in the next two sets. He managed to hold on to 4-6 in the second set, but in the deciding set, he was quickly sent packing, leaving the public in shock.

In contrast to his previous controversial exit at the Toronto Masters, where he left without his racquet and bag, this time Medvedev's departure garnered sympathy from the crowd.

Many remarked that if it weren't for the severe impact of the heat on Medvedev, Walton would have found it extremely difficult to achieve a comeback on hard courts.

How much was Medvedev suffering in the heat? He even stuck his head directly into the ice cooler to cool down!

When this scene appeared on live television, many fans expressed their feelings, noting that while tennis can be lucrative, the inner struggles endured by players like Medvedev are hard to imagine.

Additionally, to quickly lower his body temperature, the Russian star not only stripped down to his bare torso but also placed ice packs on his head, leading some fans and netizens to jokingly refer to him as the "Arab Prince."

Competing under intense conditions already puts a huge strain on the players' stamina, and with Cincinnati's 35-degree heat combined with 68% humidity, it only accelerates fatigue. Medvedev's determination to finish the match was solely driven by his desire to win, which was ultimately consumed by the harsh environment, making victory seem unattainable.

If Rublev and Medvedev's experiences were already deserving of immense sympathy, then compared to French player Lindeknecht, they seemed trivial.

In the third round, Lindeknecht competed against Aliassime for a spot in the round of 16, and from the first set, the two battled fiercely to a tiebreak. This match was exceptionally intense.

However, similarly affected by the heat, Lindeknecht was not as fortunate as Rublev and Medvedev, who could use various items to cool down and finish their matches; the Frenchman simply fainted from the heat. He ultimately had to retire mid-match, allowing Aliassime to easily secure a spot in the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters.

Of course, the players affected by the heat are far more than just these three; they are simply the most representative examples.

Although the event organizers are aware that players struggle in the heat, and have extended the ball change time by ten seconds, which seems considerate, it does not significantly help the players.

As the topic of high temperatures in Cincinnati sparked widespread discussion in the media, leading to players employing various cooling methods and even many needing to touch ice packs after every point, the underlying reasons for this year's significant physical exertion became apparent through the players’ reactions and the analysis of fans and netizens. It turns out that the event organizers changed the court materials, causing the speed of the fast hard courts to decrease.

With faster hard courts, fewer rallies lead to less physical strain on players; slowing down the pace changes everything. Now the situation is completely reversed, and with the added pressure of high temperatures and humidity, players are naturally finding themselves in increasingly difficult circumstances. German star Zverev openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the slowing of the Cincinnati courts.

Whether incidents like Lindeknecht fainting from the heat will happen again is uncertain, but many now agree with the change of the Cincinnati "US Open Barometer" slogan by netizens, praising it as very realistic and particularly fitting for the current state of the tournament.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River's Starry Sky)