Extreme temperatures disrupt matches
Melbourne faced another day of scorching heat on Tuesday, pushing the Australian Open to its highest “heat stress” level.
Thermometers recorded 42.7C, with forecasts suggesting temperatures could reach 45C.
Organisers postponed the start of the wheelchair events, which feature British defending champions Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid, and Andy Lapthorne, until Wednesday.
Outdoor junior matches moved forward to 09:00 local time (22:00 GMT) and finished before the peak temperatures arrived.
Matches in Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena, including four singles quarter-finals and multiple doubles contests, took place under retractable roofs.
Retractable roofs protect top players
The Laver Arena roof closed at 13:30 local time, shortly after Aryna Sabalenka defeated Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0.
It stayed closed for Alexander Zverev’s match against Learner Tien.
Temperatures had previously hit 40C on Saturday, causing outdoor matches to pause for around five hours.
The heat scale considers four elements—sun strength, shaded air temperature, humidity, and wind speed—to determine dangerous playing conditions.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe heat warning across Victoria.
Wheelchair players face extra risks
Lapthorne highlighted the unique challenges wheelchair players endure in extreme heat.
He explained that some athletes with spinal cord injuries cannot sweat, making it harder to cool down.
He recalled cramp in his forearms from pushing a wheelchair while hitting the ball.
Tournament organisers provided cooling stations and altered schedules, but not all players could benefit from playing under a roof.
Junior competitors faced the harshest conditions, sometimes playing two matches in a day, with temperatures still boiling at 09:00.
Roof use and junior struggles
John Cain Arena, the third roofed show court, remained unused on Tuesday.
Jannik Sinner, the men’s second seed, experienced extreme heat during Saturday’s third round.
The Italian broke down with cramp but returned after an eight-minute pause when the maximum heat scale triggered the roof closure.
Under the roof, temperatures dropped to around 26C, allowing Sinner to recover and secure a four-set victory.
British junior Hollie Smart retired from her first-round match against Japan’s Azuna Ichioka due to cramp, leaving the court in tears.
Why Melbourne’s weather swings so dramatically
Tuesday’s hot winds came from the north, drawing heat from Australia’s interior, including Alice Springs.
When winds shift south, colder Antarctic air flows in from Tasmania, producing sharp temperature swings.
Meteorologists monitor Melbourne closely because its weather changes so rapidly, creating challenges for players and coaches.
Predicting daily conditions is manageable, but forecasting what to wear and when to play remains tricky.
