Heat wave at French Open impacts the clay courts and sends fans to sprinklers
Players used ice, trainers and cooling breaks as 33-degree temperatures made the clay faster and forced Gabriel Diallo to retire.
- Temperatures at the French Open soared to 33 degrees C over the opening two days, far beyond normal for late May in Paris, with the heat accelerating play and forcing players to use ice packs while fans sought relief under sprinklers.
- While the French Open is typically cooler than the Australian Open and U.S. Open, players report not experiencing such heat at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics held in July-August 2024, marking an unusual May surge.
- The French Open's extreme weather policy sets Wet Bulb Globe Temperature thresholds triggering 10-minute cooling breaks at 30.1 degrees C and play suspension at 32.2 C . Canadian player Gabriel Diallo retired on Sunday citing heat as the main reason.
- Australian player Alex de Minaur defeated Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, stating "I don't mind the heat," while American Alex Michelsen eliminated Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets, saying "when it's super hot, the ball is moving through the air very fast."
- Sustained heat is forecast throughout the entire first week, though the protocol's full play suspension threshold of about 38 C remains unlikely to trigger given current 33 C conditions. French Open organizers did not immediately respond to protocol implementation requests.
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Manila Bulletin
SportsnetHeat wave at French Open impacts clay courts, sends fans to sprinklers
PARIS (AP) — Tennis players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics.And the 2024 Olympics were held in July and August.Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F) — far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week.Besides making it uncomfortable for fans …
French Open 2026: Heat wave impacts clay courts and has fans begging for water
Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F) — far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week.
Tenists participating in the French Open say they have not experienced such hot conditions in Roland Garros since the Paris Olympic Games.
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