The ATP Tour is adding a rule to address extreme heat during men’s professional tennis matches that will allow for 10-minute breaks during best-of-three-sets singles matches starting next season and is similar to what was put in place on the women’s circuit more than 30 years ago.
The ATP Board’s approval of the new policy, announced Monday, strengthens “protections for players competing in extreme conditions,” the tour said.
During the Shanghai Masters in October, some players called for the ATP to introduce guidance to help them in cases of extreme heat and humidity. Defending champion Jannik Sinner stopped playing a match there because of severe leg cramps; 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic lamented the conditions after vomiting during a victory.
“It’s brutal when you have over 80% humidity day after day,” Djokovic said then, “particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun.”
The WTA first established a rule to protect players in the heat in 1992. The new ATP rule is based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which takes into account the heat, humidity and other factors. When the WBGT reaches at least 30.1 degrees Celsius (about 86.2 Fahrenheit) in one of the opening two sets of a best-of-three match, either player is allowed to request a 10-minute suspension of play.
If the WBGT exceeds 32.2 degrees Celsius (about 90 Fahrenheit), the match will be halted.
During the breaks, players can change clothing, shower, hydrate or use other ways to cool off — under the supervision of ATP medical staff — and they also can receive coaching.
That ATP said the rule is aimed at “safeguarding player health, while also improving conditions for spectators, officials, ball persons, and tournament staff.”
Grand Slam tournaments set their own heat policies. The US Open, French Open and Wimbledon also have rules based on WBGT readings, as does the tennis competition at the Olympics, which is run by the International Tennis Federation. The Australian Open goes by something called the Heat Stress Scale.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.