Women tennis players will be allowed to take heat breaks at Wimbledon as temperatures approach record levels – but the men are going to have to sweat it out.
The highest temperature ever recorded at the tournament is 34.6C (94F) in 1976, but the Met Office has warned there is a 30% chance it could hit 36C (97F) on Wednesday, leading to the heat break ruling.
When the heat stress index – a measure of the air temperature, the humidity and the surface temperature – reaches 30.1C (86F) players in ladies’ and girls’ singles matches can ask for a time-out.
The time-out will be a 10-minute break between the second and third set.
The men though will have to keep on playing as the rule doesn’t apply to them as their governing body, the ATP, has not implemented it.
Temperatures are set to be in the high 20s and low 30s for the first three days of the tournament according to the Met Office, before thunderstorms roll in before the end of the week.
Feature picture courtesy of Liam Brocard, with thanks
