The hot weather conditions at the Cincinnati Open has been a talked about subject and former player Andrea Petkovic recently spoke about it. The tournament has reached its latter stages, with six of the eight singles semifinalists already decided.
Andrea Petkovic on Players Handling the Warm Conditions During Cincinnati Open
Petkovic said that it was tough to watch players struggling in the heat and humidity in Cincinnati, writing on Substack:
“Seeing the players fall like flies in the heat and humidity of Cincinnati has been tough to watch. These are some of the most accomplished athletes on the planet who have dedicated their lives to being in the best physical shape they possibly can be.”
“If they can’t withstand the heat, not a lot of people can. Heat is a bizarre thing. I used to love the hot and humid days (Washington DC was my favourite) until I turned exactly 32. It’s then that I started to wilt in the sun like a delicate little flower,” Petkovic added.
One of the most notable instances of players struggling in the heat at the Cincinnati Open came during Felix Auger-Aliassime’s match against Arthur Rinderknech, during which, the Frenchman collapsed and was eventually forced to retire.
😲 Arthur Rinderknech collapsed mid-match due to the heat in Cincinnati.
The Frenchman was forced to retire after trailing 6-7 2-4 against Félix Auger-Aliassime.pic.twitter.com/PDwD6G2oOM
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) August 11, 2025
Daniil Medvedev also struggled with the heat during his defeat to Adam Walton as he fell ill during the match.
the cincinnati open heat is coming for the russian players, first rublev and now medvedev 😭 pic.twitter.com/SjSVrO8h7l
— no. 1 ben shelton defender (@4theluvoftennis) August 10, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina All Book SF Spots in Cincinnati
At the Cincinnati Open, Wimbledon champion Iga Świątek beat 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4 while ninth seed Elena Rybakina triumphed 6-1, 6-4 over World No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Veronika Kudermetova also booked her place in the final four of the WTA 1000 event with a 6-1, 6-2 win over French qualifier Varvara Gracheva.
In the men’s singles event, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tough fight from ninth seed Andrey Rublev, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to reach his second semifinal in Cincinnati. The Spaniard will face either third seed Alexander Zverev or fifth seed Ben Shelton.
The other men’s singles semifinal will see defending champion Jannik Sinner take on Térence Atmane, who has arguably been the surprise package of the Cincinnati Open this year.
MORE: Iga Świątek Makes Eye-Opening Remark After Dealing With Cincinnati Conditions
