Players are feeling the heat! Cincinnati is under a scorching heatwave, and extreme temperatures may pose the biggest threat to the US Open.

The North American autumn hard court season is gaining momentum, with the ATP/WTA 1000 Cincinnati event being the last major highlight before the US Open. While the venue's expansion, funded by the Navarro family at a cost of $260 million, has received positive feedback from players, the extreme heat presents a significant challenge for the competitors.

Lindhkenne suffered a heat-related collapse.

On August 11, local time, French player Lindhkenne withdrew from his third-round match against the 23rd seed, Aliassime, due to health issues. He collapsed in the center of the court at 2-2 in the second set. Despite continuing to play for two more games with the help of medical staff, he chose to retire when trailing 2-4 in the second set. Medvedev, during his match against Australian player Walton, even put his head into an ice bucket to cool down, later stating that he performed poorly due to the heat, which led to his first-round exit. Chinese player Yuan Yue also experienced discomfort due to the high temperatures during her third-round match against Kostyuk.

In recent years, concerns about extreme heat have become increasingly frequent, affecting even the traditionally cool Wimbledon. This year's heat in London has sparked discussions about whether to close the roof during the day, and the lack of air conditioning in many parts of Europe has made it difficult for players to sleep at night due to high environmental temperatures. The dangers and impacts of extreme heat on players' performances come in various forms; German player Lis said after his first-round victory at Wimbledon this year, "I don't know if anyone noticed, but I slipped twice. I think this happened because players' concentration tends to drop in high temperatures, making their movements less agile."

At the Washington Open, Raducanu used ice towels and fans to cool down.

At the Washington event earlier this month, British star Raducanu admitted that after a three-hour battle with Sakkari, she was so exhausted that she lost her ability to think, even sarcastically saying, "Maybe that helped me." In her fatigued state, she lacked the energy to feel anxious or distracted. While ice towels, fans, and electrolyte drinks can alleviate players' discomfort, the reflective nature of hard courts exacerbates risks such as dehydration, dizziness, and coordination issues.

As the year's final Grand Slam event approaches at the end of this month, officials from the US Open organizing committee are anxiously monitoring the weather forecast. New York is experiencing its second hottest summer on record, and this year could become the fourth hottest ever, requiring players, spectators, and staff to prepare for the possibility of extreme heat and humidity. Various models, including those from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center, indicate that temperatures will be significantly higher than usual in the coming weeks, expected to reach around 95°F (35°C). This brings to mind Medvedev's remark during the quarterfinals against Rublev at the US Open in 2023, when he said to the cameras, "If this continues, a player will die."

The 2025 US Open will kick off its main event on August 24.

It seems that coping with extreme heat will be a necessary task and a major challenge for this year's US Open. In 2018, the tournament first introduced a "heat policy": when the "heat stress index" (a combination of temperature and humidity) exceeds 90°F (32.2°C) with 50% humidity, the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium can be partially closed to create a shaded area.

In 2024, the US Open added monitoring of the "Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature" (WBGT). If the index reaches a threshold, players are allowed more rest time and the use of cooling equipment, and the roof can also be closed. The official medical team monitored data every 30 minutes during last year's event, but no emergency cooling measures were ever triggered. However, these measures only address symptoms and do not tackle the root of the problem, and the US Open has never established clear standards for suspending matches due to heat, as doing so could severely impact broadcasting and ticket sales.

After winning his second-round match at the Cincinnati Masters, Zverev stated that he requested a night match due to the extreme heat: "I just came from Toronto, where the temperatures are much lower. I need a few days to adapt to the hot climate and playing conditions here."

Zverev

However, due to rain, Zverev's third-round match against Nakashima was forced to be suspended at 21:03 local time on Tuesday, followed by heavy rain. At that time, Zverev was just one game away from victory, leading 6-4/5-4. He will need to return the next day to complete the match. We hope this rain will "cool down" the climate in Cincinnati to prevent more players from experiencing physical discomfort, as optimal weather conditions may allow competitors to perform at their best and deliver exciting matches.

(Text and editing by Wang Fei; images by Visual China; some content translated from tennis.com)