Australian Open Grapples with Intense Heatwave as Temperatures Soar
The Australian Open is facing significant disruption as a severe heatwave grips Melbourne, with temperatures pushing towards a scorching 40 degrees Celsius on day seven of the tournament. Officials have been forced to prepare contingency measures, including closing stadium roofs and suspending play on outdoor courts, in line with the event's strict heat protocols.
Players Endure Extreme Conditions on Court
Defending champion Jannik Sinner was seen wiping sweat from his face as the mercury rose dramatically at Melbourne Park. This comes just twelve months after the Italian player suffered a medical episode under the harsh Australian sun during last year's competition. In his current third-round match against American world number 85 Eliot Spizzirri, Sinner lost the first set and was broken again in the second before managing to level the match at one set apiece.
On the women's side, defending champion Madison Keys managed to avoid the worst of the heatwave on Saturday, securing a straightforward victory over Karolina Plíšková in just seventy-five minutes. The American, who hails from Florida, expressed readiness for the challenging conditions.
"I was excited for the heat today. Being a Floridian, I was ready for it," Keys remarked after her match. "Overall, I'm feeling really good and happy to have some clean matches."
Heat Stress Scale and Protocol Implementation
The tournament employs a sophisticated heat stress scale that measures multiple environmental factors including radiant heat, humidity, air temperature, and wind speed. During Keys' match, the scale registered at 2.4, well below the threshold of 5 that would trigger play suspension.
However, as temperatures continued to climb throughout the afternoon, the situation became more severe. By early afternoon, the heat stress scale had reached 3.2, and within an hour it exceeded level 4, automatically implementing a ten-minute break between the third and fourth sets of matches.
Australian player Alex De Minaur, who secured victory in his Friday night match, offered advice for competing in such extreme conditions:
"You've got to make sure that you hydrate, you eat well, you recover well, make sure everything is prepared prior to the match," De Minaur explained. "Make sure you stay in the shade as much as you can, and get ready for feeling uncomfortable. But sometimes that's part of tennis."
Tournament Adjustments and Crowd Impact
In anticipation of the challenging conditions, tournament officials brought forward the start of play by thirty minutes on Saturday. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast predicted temperatures would peak at 40 degrees Celsius around 5pm, with the mercury remaining as high as 38 degrees even as late as 8pm.
The extreme weather is expected to impact attendance on what is traditionally one of the tournament's busiest days. As temperatures soared on Saturday afternoon, facilities such as water misters and free sunscreen stations proved particularly popular among spectators trying to cope with the intense heat.
Players have been taking additional precautions during matches, with Sinner observed using multiple ice packs during changeovers and employing a personal air conditioner while seated. The Italian player's experience highlights the physical challenges competitors face when temperatures reach such extreme levels at one of tennis's premier Grand Slam events.
