Even before the first set and first hour of his match elapsed, Tomas Machac had asked the umpire for the tournament doctor, trainer and pickle juice, the drink du jour for tackling cramps. Those preventive measures taken in the intense early stages of his third-round tussle with Lorenzo Musetti proved to be sensible, for the pair would spend a brutal four hours, 25 minutes on court.
Four hours of that took place inside an open John Cain Arena, a furnace in suffocating heat. “We knew today was going to be really, really hot,” Musetti said. “I think I managed well to finish the match without cramping.”
Those early stages of Musetti’s five-set win over Machac set the tone for an unusual day at the Australian Open as the heat arrived in force, inserting itself into the outcome of matches and wreaking havoc on the schedule. A cursory glimpse around the grounds on Saturday underscored what was to come. Anticipation of the heat convinced the organisers to start play half an hour earlier than usual at 10.30am.
The first sight was St John Ambulance workers standing around. Stations offering free SPF50+ sunscreen were dotted across the grounds. From the start of play, long lines of spectators waited by the many water dispensers to refill their bottles.
The Australian Open was well prepared for 39C, but the most pertinent question was which players would not be so ready. Jessica Pegula, who reported for the morning shift, beat the worst of the heat by reaching the fourth round with an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over Oksana Selekhmeteva.
She stressed the importance of using ice towels and hydration. “The fact we haven’t been playing that much in the hot temperatures is what gets people. You have no tolerance to it and then it comes out of nowhere. We’re used to it happening here, but it’s hard to prepare for that.”
That preparation begins overnight with increased hydration and electrolytes. Higher temperatures also mean faster playing conditions since the balls fly more quickly through warmer air. Players also have the option of making changes to their equipment.
Madison Keys notes the importance of stringing rackets at a higher tension to counteract the ball flying. “I typically go up in my tension a little bit,” she said. “Not today. Only went up a pound, because I was playing earlier. Depending on what the weather changes would be like, there’s been times where I’ve gone up even three, four pounds.”
Heat is a common subject in tennis, a sport that chases the sun around the world. Last month, after numerous heat-related retirements at the Shanghai Masters, the ATP announced its own heat rules, ending years of debate over whether the tour should prioritise the welfare of its players or continue to enable antiquated attitudes. There are still some who view the sport as a gladiatorial pursuit where athletes should be able to handle all conditions, regardless of how dangerous they are.
In the media centre, one of the screens showing the matches, statistics and practice court schedules changed to display the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale, the tournament’s extreme heat protocol. The chart measures heat stress on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 signifying “temperate playing conditions” and 5 leading to the immediate suspension of play on outdoor courts. By 2pm the temperature had reached 34C and the chart had risen to 4, which mandated extended breaks between sets.
The scale shifted to 5 at the most significant moment of the day. Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, had been struggling with the conditions on Rod Laver Arena since the early stages of his match against Eliot Spizzirri and by the third set No 2 seed was in deep trouble.
Sinner began to suffer from full body cramps, limping badly between points and unable to run properly. At one point, he hobbled to the side of the court and offered his blunt assessment of his chances to his team: “I don’t know what to do. I’m fucked.”
At the exact moment Sinner lost his serve to trail Spizzirri 1-3 in the third set, the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale reached 5. The roof was immediately closed on Rod Laver Arena and Sinner recovered his strength to win.
As Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena followed suit, play was suspended on the remaining courts. Spizzirri could not help but smile as he was informed of the move: “It was just funny that right when I broke and he was wobbling it happened to happen that way,” he said.
Sinner recognised his good fortune: “Got lucky today,” he said. “At the point when they closed the roof, it takes a little bit time. Tried to loosen up a little bit. It helped.”
Sinner’s lack of durability in the heat remains one of his few weaknesses. Others, however, almost enjoy the extreme conditions. Many of the 14 Americans in the third round are used to training in Florida’s heat and humidity. They respond to heat-related questions with a shrug.
Even as Spizzirri competed in one of the biggest matches of his career, he viewed the heat as an opportunity: “When I saw how hot it was, I was not disappointed or not, like, ‘this is unlucky I have to play on this day.’ I tried to relish that and look at it more as an opportunity to showcase my physicality and see if I could outlast him,” he said.
The absence of play left the grounds in an interesting state. Thousands of spectators congregated in the air-conditioned hallways inside Rod Laver Arena, while others chose to sit in the shaded areas of Kia Arena, which showed matches from the top courts on its big screen. One of the many weather-related conversations included the comment: “I just feel like I’m never going to be cold again.”
The player balcony, which overlooks the grounds, is usually a popular space for players, coaches, agents and families to relax. For once, it was empty, with players escaping to the air-conditioned surrounds of the their lounge underneath the stadium.
Around 7pm, 90 minutes later than initially anticipated, the heat stress reading fell to 4.7. Play swiftly restarted on the outside courts and normal service resumed. The three roofs meant there was minimal disruption to the singles.
On Tuesday, when the temperature here is forecast to be 41C, similar scenes will unfold. Those in the other half of the draws will be charged with enduring the full force of the Melbourne summer.
