Blistering heat in Wuhan has thrown the ongoing WTA tournament into turmoil, forcing organizers to suspend matches and adopt emergency measures to protect players.
Meanwhile, top stars Emma Raducanu and Iga Świątek have taken to social media to highlight the brutal conditions at the Chinese tournament.
How Iga Świątek and Emma Raducanu Reacted to Oppressive Heat in Wuhan?
Sweltering conditions have affected the Wuhan Open this week, prompting organizers to implement drastic safety measures to protect players and staff.
Top stars Emma Raducanu and Iga Świątek took to social media to share their experiences of the oppressive heat, which reached close to 35°C but reportedly felt even higher in the humid Chinese city.
Świątek, the No. 2 seed, posted a photo of herself practicing at the venue with the caption “hot”. In a short video clip, she was seen wringing out her practice T-shirt, which was completely drenched in sweat.
The Pole is scheduled to face Marie Bouzková in her opening match.
Raducanu, meanwhile, shared a screenshot of Wuhan’s weather on Threads, remarking on the tough conditions. Concerned fans flooded her comments section, urging her to stay hydrated and take precautions in the extreme heat.
Play suspended due to heat at the Polina Kudermetova vs Elise Mertens match .
No play before 3pm local time.
Mertens just won first set 7-6, saved 5 set points (3 from 0-40) pic.twitter.com/yIFk3txur4
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) October 6, 2025
As temperatures soared, play across the outer courts was suspended temporarily. However, matches on Centre Court continued under a closed roof, where conditions were better controlled.
Harsh Weather Conditions Have Also Affected the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament in Shanghai
The 2025 Shanghai Masters, the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 of the season, has turned into a battle of endurance rather than skill, as extreme heat, humidity, and unusually slow courts wreaked havoc on players. Withdrawals, medical timeouts, and visible exhaustion have marked the prestigious tournament.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among the early withdrawals, while others struggled to stay on court. French player Terence Atmane retired just 40 minutes into his opening-round match after experiencing dizziness and disorientation, later revealing he “couldn’t breathe” and “didn’t know where he was.”
Defending champion Jannik Sinner was visibly distressed during his third-round clash with Tallon Griekspoor, eventually forced to retire after being unable to serve or move properly. Novak Djokovic, competing in Shanghai for the 11th time, vomited during a changeover in his third-round match against Yannick Hanfmann but managed to grind out a win. The 24-time major champion later described the conditions as “brutal.”
Holger Rune and Valentin Royer also required medical attention, the latter even fainting after his first-round victory because of dehydration. Meanwhile, the tournament’s Court Pace Index has dropped from 40.8 last year to 32.9, making the surface much slower and further compounding the physical toll on players.
