Cincinnati’s sweltering temperatures have left players scrambling at the ATP 1000 Masters tournament. The event has already seen quite some retirements and walkovers due to unpleasantly hot conditions, resulting in backlash among players and analysts alike.
Amid cases coming up of mid-match retirement and complaints from players regarding the extreme heat rule, Coco Gauff’s former coach and tennis analyst, Brad Gilbert, has come in support of those suffering on court while urging the ATP to implement a formal heat rule similar to what exists on the WTA Tour.
“There isn’t a heat 🥵 rule I believe @atptour level. The @WTA has something that there is 10 min break after 2sets, should definitely 👍 be something if too extreme, no play, like they have in Melbourne, or if over heat index 10 mins break after 2sets,” Coco Gauff’s former coach tweeted.
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Temperatures soared to around 32 °C (89-90 °F) at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, creating harsh conditions. Felix Auger-Aliassime described playing in such conditions as 'like we're in an oven'. He told Tennis Channel:
"It feels like we're in an oven, even for the fans. We're always on the move and focused on trying to win, but the crowd is sitting for a long time, and so are our coaches."
His opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, collapsed mid-match from dehydration. Auger-Aliassime also revealed that he talked with Rinderknech, who retired from the match in the second set while trailing 4-2.
"We spoke afterward, and he told me he wasn't feeling very well today, right from the start, and that was the case throughout the entire match. He tried to stay in the fight. Winning that first set was key for me," Auger-Aliassime added.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka immediately went for an ice bath after her three-hour battle against Emma Raducanu and revealed the same on social media. She wrote:
"3 hour match in 90° weather. Immediate ice bath. I could stay there for an hour."
Other players used different tricks to battle the heat. Daniil Medvedev resorted to putting his head in a fridge, which just goes to show that the conditions in Cincinnati have been far from ideal.
Coco Gauff benefits from walkover amid grueling heat conditions in Cincinnati
Coco Gauff's Ukrainian opponent, Dayana Yastremska, seems to have caught an illness, due to which she didn't play the game, giving Gauff a walkover to the Round of 16. This is the same opponent that defeated Gauff in straight sets at Wimbledon.
Coming from Florida, the two-time Grand Slam champion seems hardly bothered by what many are saying are harsh conditions. Coco Gauff said:
"The conditions are a little bit, well, it's always fast here, but I feel like the center court is a bit faster than the practice courts. And then, yeah, it's always hot here … but I'm just happy to do better than I did last year. Last year, I lost in my first match. So, I'm just happy to be a step better than last year."
It remains to be seen if ATP makes some changes as suggested by Coco Gauff's former coach, or whether they will keep the current rules in place for the remainder of the tournament.
