Heat wave at French Open impacts the clay courts and has fans begging for water

PARIS (AP) 鈥� Tennis players at the say they haven鈥檛 experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the .

And the 2024 Olympics were held in July and August.

Temperatures for the opening two days of have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F) 鈥� far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it鈥檚 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 鈥� changing the pace of the game.

鈥淚t is much different. Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics but the balls were different, so I wouldn鈥檛 treat it as the same tournament,鈥� four-time 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 are refreshing 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.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros,鈥� Russian-born Australian player Daria Kasatkina said after beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4. 鈥淢aybe one day. But we鈥檙e going to have it for the whole week.鈥�

Kasatkina said the energy-sapping temperatures made for more up-and-down matches.

鈥淵ou can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o this is a battle which you have to also win. 鈥� Whoever adapts better to today鈥檚 conditions gets it.鈥�

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 match on Monday.

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.

Heat protocol

The French Open is usually cool compared to the heat at the Australian Open and U.S. Open.

But like in Australia and New York, the French Open has adopted an extreme weather policy.

If the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) 鈥� which takes into account temperature, humidity, sun, wind and other factors 鈥� reaches 30.1 degrees C (86 F) or higher, 10-minute cooling breaks can be installed between the second and third sets for women鈥檚 matches and between the third and fourth sets for men鈥檚 matches.

If the WBGT hits 32.2 C (90 F), play is suspended. It would require an air temperature of about 38 C (100 F) for play to be suspended.

Fast-court players like the heat

Some players were embracing the hotter air.

鈥淚鈥檝e always preferred hot and lively conditions to chilly on a clay court, because I feel like I can bring a little bit more of my all-court tennis on this type of surface,鈥� Australian player Alex de Minaur said after beating Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easier to be a little bit more aggressive. The ball is jumping. I don鈥檛 necessarily have to use as much spin or heaviness, and I can let the conditions do the job for me. And it鈥檚 quite physical. I don鈥檛 mind the heat,鈥� De Minaur added.

Same goes for American player Alex Michelsen, who eliminated Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely good for us Americans,鈥� Michelsen said. 鈥淕enerally we鈥檙e big serve, big forehand, big ground game and like to play offense. When it鈥檚 super hot, the ball is moving through the air very fast. 鈥� I was so happy when I saw the forecast.鈥�

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