A slew of top names in tennis, including Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu, Daniil Medvedev, and Aryna Sabalenka, took to the courts in searing heat as temperatures hit record highs in London.
The first day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships coincided with a four-day heatwave in England, with temperatures in parts of the country reaching 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit).
Meanwhile, a special heat rule is in place to provide relief to players and spectators should the need arise.
Heat Affected Play on Day 1 of Wimbledon Championships
Alcaraz, the newly crowned French Open champion, took the scenic route in his first-round encounter against veteran Fabio Fognini, winning 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.
The excessive heat provided some additional drama to go with the tempo of the topsy-turvy battle between two supremely gifted ball strikers.
Midway through the fifth set, a spectator turned ill, reportedly due to soaring temperatures. This prompted chair umpire James Keothavong to suspend play for 15 minutes. In an act of kindness, Alcaraz took a water bottle and passed it on to the unwell spectator.
Spectator fallen ill due to heat during over 4 hours match Alcaraz vs Fognini under grilling sun on the Wimbledon Centre court. Play is suspended #wimbledon2025 pic.twitter.com/mY9NBWHlW5
— Danijel Lijović (@dlijovic) June 30, 2025
Medvedev, the former World No. 1, was another top player affected by the sweltering heat.
The Russian was spotted vomiting midway through his first-round encounter against Benjamin Bonzi of Italy. The Russian, seeded ninth at the tournament, lost 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to the 64th-ranked Frenchman.
Clima hoje em Londres está muito quente: 32ºC e baixa umidade. Medvedev que tem dos melhores preparo fÃsico da ATPTour não segurou a gorfada. pic.twitter.com/RsduouMnp4
— Fonsecaism (Guto) (@fonsequism) June 30, 2025
Ons Jabeur, a two-time runner-up and crowd favourite at the All-England Club, retired midway through her match against Viktoriya Tomova. The Tunisian, 30, had taken a medical timeout and was trailing her opponent 6-7(5), 0-2.
Jabeur has been plagued by injuries since last year. She ended her 2024 ended early because of a shoulder injury, and is struggling with a leg injury this year.
Meanwhile, the tournament organizers have said they are aware of the situation and are taking steps to ensure that the players and fans remain safe during play.
“Obviously it’s a very warm day,” the tournament’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, said, weighing in on the conditions. “The first obvious point to make is that the athletes compete in temperatures like this all year on the tour.”
“For us Brits here at the championships, it feels very hot,” Bolton noted.
How Does the Heat Rule Work at Wimbledon?
Wimbledon uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to monitor heat and impose its heat rule, if required. The WBGT combines air temperature, humidity, and surface temperature to assess heat stress and is measured using a heat stress monitor.
At Wimbledon, if the WBGT reaches 30.1 degrees Celsius (86.18 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher, a 10-minute break is allowed during matches
This can be triggered by just one player and applies only when matches are not played under a roof. WBGT readings are taken 30 minutes before play, at 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. BST.
While the break is taken after the third set in best-of-five men’s singles matches, it follows the second set in best-of-five men’s singles matches.
