“Do you want the player to die in court?”
This is a problem that Holger Rune is treated by hard-pressed doctors and physiology in the Shanghai Masters.
At the end of the long season, the daytime temperatures are as high as 34C and humidity is 80%, and players feel this effect physically.
Conditions 500 miles west at the Wuhan Open, Emma Raducanu retired in her dizzy first round on Tuesday. On Monday, the game in the outside court stopped and the roof of the home court was closed.
After retiring due to illness in a match against Sorana Cirstea on Tuesday, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko revealed she had a “stroke”.
Iga Swiatek enjoyed the 6-1 6-1 Marie Bouzkova but the world number two said she was happy to not play on Monday after that when “the heat was too high for most players”.
“I hope other games will be scheduled when girls can compete, rather than dying on the court,” Swiatek added.
Back in Shanghai, Rune felt uncomfortable in his third round defeat of Ugo Humbert on Sunday, with his blood pressure and an ice-haired towel on his shoulders.
Novak Djokovic said the conditions for his tough third round victory were “cruel”, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard said he felt like he was “dead on the court” because of the humidity, and Jannik Sinner was hit by a cramp on Sunday night’s game.
Terence Atmane, who retired in the first round on Thursday, posted on Instagram that his stadium pressure was intensified.
“After the first point of the game, my hands were shaking.” The Frenchman wrote.
“I immediately felt my whole body trembling after the second game and the 2-0 lead, and every bit was suffocating.
“The heat stress I face today is probably worse than losing an hour of awareness and a quick heartbeat…”
Rune asked why the man-government agency ATP had no heating rules when he was treated on Sunday.
The reply was: “This is a good question.”
Danish Runes returned to the theme on Tuesday after defeating Mpetshi Perricard in the fourth round.
World 11 said he believes that “every player agrees” a rule should be introduced.
“We can handle a certain amount of calories because we are also strong and mentally strong, but there is always a limit.
“It’s also important to take care of your health. We need to survive.”
