Players and fans alike felt the heat at Wimbledon Thursday when the semifinal between top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova was delayed twice in the first set due to spectators falling ill.
The affected fans, seated in the unshaded lower tier of Centre Court, received care from Sabalenka herself, who offered bottles of water and, on one occasion, a blue ice pack.
“London wasn’t ready for this weather. It was super hot,” Sabalenka said after dropping the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Temperatures soared to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) during the first set.
“I can’t even imagine sitting in one place and the sun just constantly hitting on you,” Sabalenka said. “You’ve got to be really prepared, stay hydrated. It can happen to everyone.”
Sabalenka used ice packs – placing them on her head – to cool down during changeovers.
She said the delays had no impact on her performance.
“I was able to play my game no matter what. Doesn’t matter how long the pause was. I just hope they (those fans) feel better,” she said.
The grass-court tournament experienced record-breaking heat on Day 1 when temperatures rose to 33 degrees Celsius.
