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It was not a normal opening day as Wimbledon 2025 got off to an action-packed start in London on Monday, June 30. The players, supporters and ground staff had to deal with extreme heat as the tournament recorded the hottest opening day in its history. Several players complained about the sweltering conditions during the first-round matches.
As per the BBC, Wimbledon previously recorded its hottest opening day in 2001 when the temperature soared to 29.3C in London. However, on Monday, the temperature reached 31.4°C, surpassing the previous record for the hottest opening day at Wimbledon, while causing significant issues to all involved.
Battling the sweltering conditions on court, the players were seen using ice packs, cold towels while increasing their liquid and water intake during changeovers. Meanwhile, the fans used hats and umbrellas to shade themselves, with some also cooling themselves with portable fans and covering themselves with cold towels and handkerchiefs in the stands.
Germany's Eva Lys, who defeated China's Yue Yuan in her first-round clash in women's singles, complained about her racquet continuously slipping from her hands due to extensive sweating during the game. She called the conditions 'really tough' due to the hot weather, while also sympathising with the spectators.
"[It was] tough. Really, really tough. I was sweating a lot, so my racquet was very slippery. It's the first time playing with heat on grass. I feel like it's really tough on the legs. This is especially what I felt in the third set. I think the spectators didn't have it easy either. I feel like everyone is kind of struggling with the heat right now," said the German player.
Meanwhile, women's world no.1 Aryna Sabalenka was also seen struggling with the heat and using ice towels during changeovers during her first-round match against Carson Branstine, which she won 6-1, 7-5 in straight sets. Two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur also didn't have it easy and was forced to retire from her opening round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova after becoming unwell.
Wimbledon rules allow a 10-minute break for players to tackle extreme heat conditions. However, the rule is yet to be enforced in the ongoing edition of the tournament, as there are multiple factors that the organisers use to determine the heat stress factor. The tournament uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) heat index that takes into account factors such as air temperature, humidity and surface temperature to determine if the break rule should be enforced.
As per the rule, the players are allowed a break of 10 minutes after the second set for the best-of-three set matches, and after the third set for the best-of-five set matches. The players are also allowed to leave the court to refresh themselves during the 10-minute break.
The temperature is expected to rise further and reach mid-30s as the tournament progresses, and the rule might come into effect soon in Wimbledon 2025.
