The sun beats down relentlessly on Paris, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius, pushing the professionals at the French Open to their physical limits. Tournament organizers have now clarified the conditions under which play at the Grand Slam event in the French capital would be halted to safeguard athletes.
According to the French Tennis Federation (FFT), play will be stopped once the two wet-bulb thermometers on the grounds reach 32.2 degrees Celsius. This measure will apply even to the main courts, Philippe-Chatrier and Suzanne-Lenglen, despite their retractable roofs.
The wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is an index that measures how effectively the human body can cool itself under conditions of heat, humidity, solar radiation, and wind. When humidity is less than 100 percent, it provides a lower reading than a standard thermometer. Two such instruments are located at Roland Garros: one on Court Philippe-Chatrier and another on Court 14 at the western end of the venue.
If the WBGT reaches 30.1 degrees Celsius before the start of a singles match, players are entitled to a 10-minute break – this applies before a potential third set for women’s matches and before a potential fourth set for men’s matches. Matches will also be suspended in the event of lightning. Organizers adhere to the thresholds set by the WTA and ATP Tours for their procedures. The WTA introduced its first heat rule in 1992, and the ATP adopted the latest version of the women’s tour’s guidelines earlier this year.
While the Australian Open in Melbourne is more commonly associated with extreme heat challenges during the tournament, Paris is experiencing significant heat this year, and the forecast indicates it will remain hot in the coming days.