LONDON As the oldest Grand Slam event began Monday, Wimbledon was braced for the potential of a record-breaking Day 1 heat.
The temperature was 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) just before play was set to start in the first matches at 11 a.m. local time. This temperature was still below the 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.3 degrees Celsius) recorded on the first day of the 2001 fortnight.
Sally Bolton, the CEO of the All England Club, declared, “I’ll spend the entire day moving from one shady place to another.”
It’s a very warm day, of course. The first obvious argument is that the athletes on the tour compete in temperatures similar to these throughout the year, according to Bolton. It feels really hot to us British here at The Championships.
Although the government’s official meteorological bureau stated that this spring was the warmest and sunniest in the UK since records have been kept, the average daytime temperature in London in June is 71 F (21.5 C).
Like other tennis competitions, Wimbledon keeps track of air temperature, surface temperature, and humidity to determine heat stress. If the reading is higher than 30.1 C (86 F), 10-minute breaks are permitted between the second and third sets of women’s matches or between the third and fourth sets of men’s matches.
Bolton stated that further measures were being taken Monday, including providing more ice on the court for players to utilize to cool off, switching up the ball girls and boys more often if necessary, and providing regular breaks to groundskeepers.
Regarding fans, Bolton stated that we are providing the same guidance as many medical experts: Be ready. Remember to pack a hat. Put on some sunblock. If at all possible, use light clothing. Take pauses to avoid the sun. Stay hydrated; there are more than 100 water stations spread across the grounds. Additionally, pay attention to your friends and those in your vicinity. We have a very sizable medical staff here in case someone appears to be experiencing mild heat stress.
This pales in comparison to the conditions that competitors and spectators endure during the local summers, when the U.S. Open is hosted in New York in August and September or the Australian Open is held in Melbourne in January, when temperatures frequently reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and occasionally reach 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius).
As a result of climate change that has produced record heat waves, the average high temperatures experienced during the U.S. Open and the three other major tennis events have steadily increased and become more hazardous in recent decades, according to a 2023 Associated Press analysis. It can hinder the athletes’ ability to perform at their peak and, worse, raise their risk of heat-related illnesses.
Fans used umbrellas on Monday to provide shade rather than shelter from the frequent downpours in this area. The first round was supposed to be finished in two days, but it took four days a year ago due to the continuous rains.
“We’re not used to these sort of temperatures, but we’re absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it’s sunny and not wet, like it was last year,” Bolton said, recalling the rainy Wimbledon of 2024.
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https://apnews.com/hub/tennis is the AP tennis website.
