Wild Melbourne weather has wreaked havoc on the Australian Open, with play twice suspended for an extended period first because of oppressive heat and then heavy rain within a matter of hours.
Much of the tournament was brought to a standstill midway through the second day, with matches halted on all outside courts for almost three hours. Officials enacted the tournament’s extreme heat policy just after 2pm AEDT on Tuesday as the temperature climbed to 36C.
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Play was able to continue on the main show courts, Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena, under the roof and eventually resumed on all courts at about 5pm.
But spectators who had just spent the afternoon trying to cool down were soon running for cover as driving rain suddenly descended over Melbourne Park and play was stopped on outside courts again, this time for an hour and then intermittently for another 30 minutes.
Those who had evening-session tickets for the main show courts stayed comfortable and dry, while ground-pass ticket holders raced to John Cain Arena – the one venue with a roof into which they were allowed entry.
It made for a wildly haphazard day which will have significant scheduling ramifications, with some of Tuesday night’s matches to be played on Wednesday, meaning some players will be forced to play on consecutive days.
Before play was stopped in the early afternoon sun, players on the outside courts huddled under umbrellas and applied ice packs but still struggled in the searing heat. Kaia Kanepi was one, suffering through her three-set first-round loss to Australian Kimberly Birrell.
“I’m from the sunny Gold Coast, I’m used to the conditions and maybe she wouldn’t have been,” Birrell said. “I really like these conditions. I like feeling like I’m working hard and sweating and getting into the fight. I think that’s when I play some of my best tennis.”
The Australian Open’s approach has developed in line with medical research on the effects of extreme heat on the body. The heat stress scale was introduced four years ago and features five stages, with lower stages prioritising increased hydration and cooling strategies.
When the scale reaches stage four, singles players are granted a 10-minute break – women between the second and third set, and men between the third and fourth set. It did not take long on Tuesday to tick over into stage five.
“The AO heat stress scale has reached five and play will be suspended on the outside courts,” Tennis Australia said. “This means play continues until the end of an even number of games or the completion of a tie break. No new matches will be called to court. Play on outdoor practice courts is also suspended.”
Before the heat stress scale was implemented, guidelines around playing in the heat were less clear, something pointed out by Novak Djokovic, who confessed he was “right at the limit” of his physical and mental endurance after beating Gaël Monfils in health-threatening 39C heat in 2018, and pleaded for the sport’s administrators to show more compassion for players.
