Heat is on for male players at Wimbledon

WITH temperatures at Wimbledon hitting 84.2F (29C) yesterday, players and spectators are already starting to feel the heat at this year’s championships.

But even if the mercury continues to rise there will be no respite for the male players – because unlike the women they will not get the benefit of a heat break during matches. Under Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rules the women players can ask for a 10-minute break between the second and third set when the “heat stress index” – which factors together the air temperature, humidity and the surface temperature – is at or above (84.2F (30.1C).

By contrast there is no such rule for the men, who just have to keep on playing though the heat.

That discrepancy has now prompted calls for equal treatment, with male players saying they too should benefit from a gap in play. Sam Querrey, the Wimbledon number 11 seed who yesterday won his first round match against Jordan Thompson, said: “It’s hot out here today. I wouldn’t mind a break then for the guys.”

The All England lawn Tennis Club, which runs the championships, said it follows the WTA rules on heat breaks in matches and said it had no plans to introduce them for the men.