Over 30 degrees expected in the first days of the tournament. Tennis players amidst protests and complaints. The organizers will decide on any breaks or stops to the matches
They had never seen a May like this in Paris. Or rather, felt on the skin. Temperatures never reached before. Météo-France, for the Ile de France department, has issued a yellow heat wave alert: over 30 degrees expected for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. For a Slam, conditions like an Australian summer, but certainly not like those of Roland Garros, where the roof over the Center was built to protect the tournament from spring rains and certainly not to cool off days of hellish bedlam.
the solutions
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In the intense heat of these hours, therefore, the players must “survive” and “resist”, as said by Arthur Rinderknech, the Frenchman with the highest ranking in the Parisian tournament (n.24), who qualified for the second round where he will find Berrettini. When asked how to handle the heat, Rinderknech responded bluntly: “Manage, manage… It’s a big word, the important thing is to survive. It’s about holding on until the next point. Don’t tell yourself it’s too hot, don’t tell yourself you’re too wet, too sweaty.” To best prepare for the match, the 30-year-old born in Provence obviously “hydrated himself as much as possible”. Although the players are not used to this kind of heat in Paris, Rinderknech stressed that “we play all year round in similar conditions”, adding that he has never played on clay in such conditions. “In the summer, in the United States, we play in equally hot conditions, often even hotter; in Australia, we also play in hotter conditions; I don’t know what the South American circuit is like, but I’ve heard that even on clay it’s very hot,” he listed. “We’re used to it and we’re prepared, except that here we play the best of five sets.” The heat also requires a different recovery: “You need to drink even more, much more, and ideally supplement with a little salt to retain liquids.” To lower his body temperature, Rinderknech immediately immersed himself in a 10-minute cold bath after the game.
THE RULES
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But what does the regulation say in case of excessive temperatures? In reality, partial uncertainty reigns. In 2026 the ATP has launched new strict rules which provide for a ten minute “cooling break” if the thermometer exceeds 30 degrees and the total suspension of matches above 32 degrees. However, these protections do not automatically apply to Roland Garros. The four Grand Slam tournaments are in fact organized directly by the International Tennis Federation, which does not follow the protocols of the standard men’s circuit. Management of the climate emergency in Paris will remain tied to the Grand Slam Board’s Extreme Heat Policy. The organizers will therefore have full decision-making discretion on the measures to be adopted: they will be able to grant strategic breaks to the players, suspend matches deemed at risk or order the closure of the mobile roofs on the main courts, the Philippe Chatrier and the Suzanne Lenglen. Closing, which takes about 15 minutes, allows the two arenas to be transformed into indoor facilities, stabilizing the temperature and protecting the champions from the sun.
