Heat at Australian Open can create havoc for players
The 2023 Australian Open is approaching fast and the rising temperature Down Under looks to be the spoilsport for many players.
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Gael Monfils, Simona Halep, Rafael Nadal battling heat at the Australian Open
Each Grand Slam has its share of something special. If it’s The Championships at Wimbledon, strawberry, and cream, champagne and Pimms are the flavor. Of course, if it turns out to be a wet summer, then rain can play havoc. In 2022, surprisingly, there was almost zero rain stoppage at Wimbledon. Well, this is January. When one-half of the hemisphere is freezing, parts of Asia, the entire Europe, and the USA included, Australia prepares for extreme heat.
That one factor can be killing at Melting Melbourne, when the Australian Open is held. As the tennis players gear up for the season’s first Grand Slam on the hard outdoor courts in Melbourne, where action begins on January 16, you will see players equipped with sunscreen lotions, mostly SPF 40 type to protect again sunburn.
Even fans who come for the tennis carnival come equipped with sunscreen lotion tubes, and large hats, and dressed in shorts and T-shirts. Dress less is the code as the heat is merciless. If sitting in the stands is tough and fans guzzle beer, imagine how the players compete in dry heat, where the humidity is low. It can be a killer, which is why the heat rule was brought into play, first in 1997. A year later, the rule was tweaked wherein a new rule was introduced for all courts.
Once the mercury hits 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on the bulb, play is halted. There have been more changes in recent times, where the tournament referee has the final word. Way back in 2014, the Extreme Heat policy came in for copious flak as ball boys also felt the heat. There was one instance when a ball boy had to be taken away on a stretcher as he collapsed due to heat exhaustion.
Related: Naomi Osaka’s uncertain playing status gives Australian Open officials a headache
Novak Djokovic is best prepared for high temperatures on hard courts of the Australian Open
Playing in Melbourne is not easy, where the players who come from cold Europe and the US find it harder. Someone like Roger Federer said in 2014, players have to train hard to cope with the heat. However, not all agreed with the views of Federer. Few top pros like Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams, and Victoria Azarenka said their shoes were “melting.”
No exaggeration about this, really. In India, even at 44 degrees Celsius, in many places, life goes on as usual. People hydrate well and summer cricket and even the IPL takes place. Australia is different, where 40 degrees Celsius hurts and singes. This is where officials take a call on how to step in. Of course, now play can be halted, unless you are on center stage where there is a retractable roof that can be rolled over for the day matches.
What will happen from January 16 to 29 is not clear, but players arrive early and get adjusted. It is called acclimatization, easier said than done. Hydration has to be high and players who sweat more are at a disadvantage. In the morning session, sometimes even by 11am, it gets miserable in Melbourne. However, players like Novak Djokovic and Serena, in the past, have battled heat and opponents with professionalism.
In 2018, when Djokovic was competing against Gael Monfils, conditions were inhuman. It appeared one would fall dead. Aussie TV commentators said the on-court temperature was 68 degrees Celsius, Sounds unreal, isn’t it? Given the radiation and ozone layer depletion, such temperatures are crazy. Monfils almost was droppig, he was staggering at that time.
“The conditions were brutal, that’s for sure,” Djokovic had said at that time, after the match. “For sure, you know, we took risk,” Monfils said, talking about health risks, his tennis shots, where sometimes he was seen leaning on his tennis racket on the court like support! Thirty years ago, when a certain American answering to the name of Jim Courier dominated tennis with his laser-sharp inside forehand, he also felt the heat in Melbourne.
Courier beat Stefan Edberg in one match on a crazy afternoon, which evoked sharp comments from both players. “I was never a big fan of playing in the heat, but I knew that it was advantageous for me versus some opponents,” Courier had been quoted as saying at that time. Given Courier’s style of play, he liked to use the heat to melt down his opponent on the court.
In modern-day tennis, Djokovic is one of the fittest players. He can compete in any condition and on any surface, though the brick red clay in Paris is not his best. As it is, the tennis ball has been made heavy. Add to it the heat and so on, players have to adapt suitably.
Youngsters may think they are going to make a big dent Down Under. Be sure, if it gets hot in Melbourne, it can get hot under the collar. The Extreme Heat rule is fine, but that alone cannot win you matches! Love all, Play.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)