Every year, heat is the worst enemy of tennis players during the Australian Open. And this year is no exception.
This Saturday, at 2:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. in Paris), the thermometer rose to 35°C in Melbourne. Enough to push the organizers of the Grand Slam tournament to interrupt the matches, to preserve the health of the athletes, as part of a high heat protocol.
The AO Heat Stress Scale is above 5.0.
Play is suspended for all matches and practice on outside courts. The roofs on RLA, MCA and JCA will close and remain closed for the remainder of the match.
If onsite, please seek shade and apply cooling strategies.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2026
Jannik Sinner match interrupted
This Saturday day is notably devoted to the second and last part of the men’s and women’s singles round of 16.
At the time of the interruption, in addition to the numerous doubles and junior matches which were taking place on the side courts, three matches were in progress: Jannik Sinner against Eliot Spizzirri and Lorenzo Musetti against Thomas Machac in the men’s draw, as well as Linda Noskova against Wang Xinyu in the women’s draw. The first two matches were suspended for only a short time, while the roofs of the Rod Laver and John Cain courts were closed.
An ultimately beneficial interruption for the world number 2, in great physical difficulty before this one. The Italian was able to cool down, calm his cramps and finally won (4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4).
