The 2026 French Open was defined by a wave of unexpected upsets across both the men’s and women’s contests, while players like Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud, and Jakub MenÅ¡Ãk struggled to cope with the extreme Paris heat. Mere weeks after the conclusion of the clay-court Major, the sweltering conditions in France have continued to take their toll, forcing the cancellation of two ITF events.
How Extreme Heat Is Impacting Tennis After French Open Struggles for Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud
During his first-round clash with Roman Safiullin at the French Open, Ruud battled severe physical discomfort as temperatures soared to 91.4°F (33°C). After emerging victorious in a grueling five-set encounter, the Norwegian said the heat wave left him feeling like a “zombie.”
“I mean, as we know, there’s a bit of a heat wave at the moment, and that can sometimes cause a bit problems. Yeah, felt like it was a bit of a kind of heat-stroke feeling. I had experienced something similar some years ago when I played in Washington D.C., and I had to retire in the third set because I had that — that’s the only time I had that same feeling as I had today in the fourth set where I felt, you know, at times really dizzy and just really tired and walking around like a zombie almost,” Ruud said.
Sinner experienced similar difficulties during his second-round clash against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, complaining of dizziness and nausea before suffering an unexpected loss. Although the world No. 1 later insisted that the warm weather was not a major factor in his physical issues, the heat could not have helped, especially since he had previously struggled with cramping in hot conditions in Shanghai and Melbourne.
With Jakub MenÅ¡Ãk, Daria Kasatkina, and Jeļena Ostapenko also speaking up about the extreme temperatures, Novak Djokovic criticized the French Open’s heat policy amid growing concerns over player welfare.
Just weeks after the French Open, the intense heat wave in France has led to the cancellation of the women’s W35 event in Périgueux. The decision was made after the regional government prohibited sporting events under a red heat wave alert. Explaining the move, the ITF stated, “Although the tournament has indoor courts on site, these are not air-conditioned and are therefore not permitted to be used under this order.”
The men’s M25 tournament in Montauban faced the same issue when Tarn-et-Garonne went on red alert, and organizers canceled the tournament to “guarantee the safety of all players.” These decisions have been made as temperatures have soared across parts of France, rising as high as 107.4°F (41.9°C).
Notably, Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud, and other tennis stars will likely face similarly challenging conditions during their upcoming campaigns at the Wimbledon Championships. The UK Met Office forecasters have issued an “red extreme heat warning” for parts of England, with temperatures forecast to climb as high as 102.2°F (39°C), which would mark a record June high in the country.
