How Tennis Courts Are Managing Extreme Heat During Matches

As I pulled my racket back to hit a forehand down the line, my reaction time seemed to slow and my legs felt weak. The ball landed in the net. I looked at the thermometer and saw 98 degrees Fahrenheit. After using five packets of electrolytes while playing in Arizona’s dry June heat, I returned to cool, coastal Maine with a headache that lasted three days.

Hard-court tennis surfaces absorb solar energy and can become nearly 30 degrees hotter than the surrounding air. Without a careful balance of fluids and electrolytes, playing tennis in extreme heat can quickly lead to dehydration, fatigue and impaired performance.

The dangers of hot-weather tennis were visible at the Cincinnati Open this month, when world No. 5 Novak Djokovic collapsed during a match after heat aggravated a chronic health condition. The incident prompted criticism of scheduling matches during the hottest part of the day. At the Memphis Classic in July, Ekaterina Alexandrova was removed from the court after experiencing heat-related illness.

Heat can also become dangerous on clay courts. During this year’s French Open, a heat dome trapped hot air over the region. After a five-set victory, Jakub Menšík collapsed, while spectators sought relief beneath court-side sprinklers.

Tennis places intense demands on the body, particularly when players compete in direct sunlight on heat-absorbing hard courts. The sport combines repeated sprints, powerful swings and quick changeovers that provide limited time for recovery. This combination can rapidly increase metabolic heat and make it difficult for the body to cool itself.

For more than two decades, sports scientists have studied whole-body approaches to managing heat stress in tennis. These methods go beyond drinking water and include heat acclimatization, electrolyte replacement, pre-cooling, environmental monitoring and individualized recovery plans.

“Highly visible matches continue to show that elite athletes are not heat-proof,” says Babette Pluim, an expert in tennis and exercise medicine at the Amsterdam Collaboration on Health and Safety in Sports. “Tennis is emerging as one of the first global sports to combine sport-specific physiological modeling, real-time environmental monitoring and structured rule changes to manage the limits of human heat dissipation.”

The likelihood of a hot tournament day—defined as temperatures above 82 degrees—has increased in all four Grand Slam host cities since 1970, according to a June Climate Central report. At the U.S. Open in Queens, New York, the probability of such conditions has risen from 49 percent in the 1970s to 67 percent today.

Climate change is also influencing tennis regulations and venue design. Following seven match retirements at the October 2025 Shanghai Masters and widespread criticism, the Association of Tennis Professionals adopted new extreme-heat rules.

The ATP now permits a 10-minute cooling break when the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature, or WBGT, exceeds 86 degrees and suspends play above 90 degrees. WBGT measures heat stress by considering temperature, humidity, wind, cloud cover, sunlight and the angle of the sun. The WTA and Grand Slam tournaments use similar heat-management guidelines. Since 2023, the U.S. Open has also allowed stadium roofs to close during extreme heat.

Heat-related illness in tennis can result from prolonged exertion, direct sun exposure, limited opportunities to cool down and matches that last up to five hours.

“There is a greater appreciation of the challenges prompted by heat, and an effort to provide guidelines and adopt procedures to offset [them],” says Michael Bergeron, a clinical and scientific adviser in sports medicine and performance health for the WTA. The organization first introduced extreme-weather rules in 1992.

How extreme heat affects tennis players

During hot weather, blood vessels near the skin widen to help release body heat. In dry conditions, however, athletes may lose fluids through sweat faster than they can replace them. Dehydration can reduce blood flow to organs, raise heart rate, weaken concentration and slow physical responses. At higher elevations, fluid loss may occur even more quickly.

Early signs of heat stress include dehydration, headache, nausea, dizziness and poor coordination. “Headache, nausea, dizziness and impaired coordination may develop,” explains Pluim, who also serves as chief medical officer of the Royal Netherlands Lawn Tennis Association and researches sports medicine at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

In severe cases, athletes can develop exertional heat stroke. The condition involves neurological symptoms such as confusion, collapse or unconsciousness, along with a very high core temperature—generally around or above 104 degrees. Without immediate treatment, heat stroke can cause organ failure, permanent cognitive impairment or death.

Even small amounts of fluid loss can affect performance. A July study found that losing a fraction of a percent of body water may reduce grip strength and attention. Other research links dehydration to slower reaction times, reduced speed, poorer shot selection, impaired coordination and weaker decision-making.

At this year’s French Open, Australian player Daria Kasatkina said high temperatures can affect an athlete’s mental game, describing heat-related loss of focus as a separate battle on the court.

Why personalized cooling plans matter

People respond to heat differently. Factors such as age, body size, fitness, sweat rate, sleep, medications, illness, acclimatization and the length of activity can all influence an athlete’s risk. Extreme heatwaves during the 2010s accelerated tennis’s move toward individualized heat-management plans.

In 2019, the Australian Open introduced an evidence-based Heat Stress Scale. The system uses real-time environmental information and player-specific health and physiological data to help determine when play should be modified or suspended.

During training, elite athletes increasingly use wearable devices to monitor sleep, heart-rate response, glucose levels, hydration, body and skin temperature, sweat rate and body mass. Some athletes are also participating in clinical trials involving ingestible core-temperature sensors. These electronic capsules transmit internal temperature data, helping sports scientists map an athlete’s thermal strain.

Recreational tennis, pickleball and padel players can also benefit from checking the WBGT forecast before playing. Players should consider their personal tolerance for heat, ability to acclimatize, sweat rate, body size, sleep quality, medications, existing medical conditions, activity level and expected match duration.

“Research has demonstrated that hydration alone cannot prevent exertional heat illness,” says Kathleen Stroia, senior vice president of performance health for the WTA. “Effective heat management requires a comprehensive strategy.”

That strategy may include heat acclimatization, planned hydration, electrolyte replacement, proper nutrition, pre-cooling, cooling during breaks, post-match recovery and access to medical care.

Climate adaptation is also changing tennis facilities. Stadiums are adding retractable roofs, shaded seating and improved ventilation, while manufacturers are testing cooler hard-court surfaces.

One surface, Laykold Chill technology, uses microscopic components designed to absorb heat and slow the increase in court temperature. The surface became the official court material of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open after debuting in 2024 and producing a reported 30 percent reduction in temperature.

Another material, CoolTop, uses infrared-reflective pigments to absorb less solar energy. It covers courts at Florida’s U.S. Open Pickleball Championships and is the preferred surface of Pickleball Australia. The material has reportedly reduced court temperatures from approximately 126 degrees to 100 degrees.

How to stay cool during a tennis match

The safest way to manage heat during tennis is to avoid playing during peak temperatures whenever possible. Players should arrive well hydrated and plan breaks before symptoms develop.

The United States Tennis Association recommends drinking 12 to 16 ounces of water after waking on competition day, another 12 to 16 ounces about an hour before exercise and approximately 8 ounces 10 minutes before stepping onto the court, according to its heat and hydration guidance.

Pre-cooling may reduce the amount of heat stored in the body before performance begins. At this year’s Australian Open, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner experienced significant cramping in hot conditions. During June training for Wimbledon, he was seen wearing a cooling vest before practice.

The USTA suggests wearing a cooling vest for about 15 minutes, roughly one hour before play. Some athletes also use a brief cold shower or other pre-cooling methods.

During a hot match, professional players follow individualized hydration and cooling routines based on their sweat rates and fluid losses. During 90- or 120-second changeovers, they may drink up to 14 ounces of water or an electrolyte drink, rest in the shade, suck on ice chips, pour water over their heads or use cold towels and ice bags on the neck, head and face.

“In our studies, ice towels and wetting the skin in front of a fan reduced core temperature by approximately [1 degree] compared with drinking cold water alone in simulated Australian Open conditions,” Pluim says.

Sports scientists also recommend cooling the palms of the hands. Although this approach may not rapidly lower core temperature, the hands contain blood vessels that can help transfer heat and may reduce thermal discomfort and perceived exertion.

After a match, athletes should continue drinking fluids, replace electrolytes and rest in shade or air conditioning. Eating protein and nutrient-dense carbohydrates can support recovery and replenish energy stores.

When medically appropriate, a cold bath or shower may help lower body temperature and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Cold-water immersion should be used under medical supervision when exertional heat stroke is suspected because rapid cooling is essential to reduce the risk of organ damage. In 2026, the ATP began requiring tournaments to make ice baths available in player recovery rooms.

As pickleball and padel grow worldwide and tennis participation continues to increase, heat safety is becoming essential for racket-sport athletes of all skill levels.

If concentration begins to fade or symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness or confusion appear, stop playing, move to a cooler location and seek medical help when necessary. Do not attempt to push through signs of heat illness.

“I recommend playing earlier and for less time, allowing more recovery between hot days and using active cooling during breaks,” advises Pluim.