Novak Djokovic vomited, Alexander Zverev dripped sweat from his shoes, and Emma Raducanu retired with dizziness – and the warning for the world’s top tennis stars: more scorching conditions are on the way in China this week.
Denmark’s Holger Rune described the Shanghai Masters’ heat – temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius with humidity over 80% – as “brutal.” “Do you want a player to die on court?” he reportedly asked, highlighting the severity of the conditions.
Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic called the weather “very challenging physically” on Tuesday, fighting through both the sweltering heat and an ankle scare to reach the quarterfinals.
The 38-year-old bent over repeatedly between rallies against Spain’s Jaume Munar and even vomited on court, underscoring the punishing toll of the Shanghai sun.
After one unforced error, Djokovic dropped to the court and remained splayed out as a medic rushed over, before regathering himself to win in three battling sets.
The draw has opened up for the Serb after world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament to rest, and defending champion Jannik Sinner retired from his match on Sunday with cramp.
Zverev, ranked No. 3 in the world, was beaten on Monday, having had to pause during his defeat to change his shoes because sweat was pouring out of them.
Spectators at center court waved fans and wore cool packs on their foreheads to counter the suffocating humidity.
The main court in Shanghai has a roof but remains open and would only be closed if it rains, which is not expected for the remainder of the tournament.
Rune called Tuesday for the men’s governing body, the ATP, to introduce a heat rule at events such as the Shanghai Masters.
The ATP said in a statement that player safety was its top priority and it is considering such a policy.
Currently, decisions affecting play due to weather conditions, including heat, “lie with the on-site ATP supervisor, in coordination with on-site medical teams and local authorities,” it said.
Conditions felt marginally less oppressive on Wednesday in Shanghai, but forecasts still called for highs of 29 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures are set to rise again in the coming days and peak on Sunday, the day of the final, at an estimated 32–33 degrees Celsius.
France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who reached the quarterfinals on Wednesday, said it was not only the players who were suffering.
“It was as hard for the ball boys, for the umpire, for the fans, everybody was always like this – blowing air to the face because it was really hot,” he said.
The conditions are equally punishing in Wuhan, central China, where all the top women’s players are competing.
Temperatures are above average for this time of year in both cities. Scientists have consistently warned that human-driven climate change is resulting in more frequent and intense weather events worldwide.
The difference between Wuhan and Shanghai is that the WTA has a heat policy.
At the WTA Wuhan Open on Tuesday, former Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Jelena Ostapenko both retired from their matches. Raducanu had her blood pressure and other vitals checked before retiring with dizziness from her first-round match.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek called on organizers to take player safety into account when scheduling matches on the outside courts, where there is no roof.
“On center court I think it’s a little bit cooler with the air conditioning and everything,” she said. “But I hope the other matches will be scheduled at a time where girls can compete, rather than just die on the court.”
Temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius forced organizers to put the WTA’s heat rule into effect on Monday, suspending play on the outside courts. The heat rule was also in effect for part of Tuesday.
The policy allows players to take a 10-minute break between the second and third sets and enables the tournament to partially or fully close the center-court roof to protect players.
The rule looks set to come into play repeatedly this week in Wuhan, where highs above 30 degrees Celsius are forecast all week, including Sunday’s final.
