After growing criticism from tennis professionals, the ATP is introducing a binding heat protection rule from the 2026 season. The men’s organization announced this on Monday evening. The ATP is thus adapting to the requirements of the WTA, which introduced such measures years ago. The new heat rule offers “a structured, medically supported approach to dealing with extreme heat with the aim of protecting the health of players,” it said in a statement.
The basis of the new regulation is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index, which takes temperature, humidity and other factors into account. The rule defines clear thresholds for cool-down breaks and game interruptions. Accordingly, professionals can request a ten-minute cooling break after the second set of a game over three winning sets if the WBGT value reaches 30.1 degrees or more. If the WBGT value exceeds 32.2 degrees, the match will be interrupted.
In October, the Dane Holger Rune, among others, complained about “brutal” conditions in Shanghai. “Do you want a player to die on the court?” Rune asked an official in temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius and humidity of more than 80 percent.
The measure is also intended to improve conditions for spectators, officials, ball children and tournament staff. The four Grand Slam tournaments retain their own guidelines.
