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As summer temperatures soar in the United Kingdom, many are angered by the Wimbledon "heat break" rule that excludes men from calling a 10 minute break when the heat begins taking its toll.
Wednesday the 1st of July, was the hottest day for that month in over 160 years, with temperatures reaching 36.7°C, the Guardian reports. It was also the highest temperature ever experienced during Wimbledon, beating the previous 1976 record of 34.6°C.
Spectators on the grass shielded themselves under umbrellas and one ball boy had to be rushed to hospital after he collapsed from the heat, Sports24 reports.
Read: 14 ways to beat the summer heat
The 'heat break" rule explained
While the male Wimbledon players can't call for a break themselves, conditions are closely monitored and matches can be called off if it is too hot out on the court. In a press statement Wimbledon referee Andrew Jarrett explains the rule in more detail:
- It enables players to take a 10 minute break after the second set when the heat stress index reads 30.1 degrees Celsius or higher.
- The heat stress index is not the same as temperature. It takes temperature, humidity and surface temperature into account.
- The index is read 30 minutes before play begins, at 14:00 and again at 17:00.
- Only one of the participants is required to request the break for it to be implemented.
- The rule applies only to womens' singles matches that have not yet been called to court.
The controversial heat break rule has only been used twice at Wimbledon before, once in July 2006 and once in June 2009.
Players struggle in the heat
Reuters reports that Australian player Bernard Tomic struggled with the heat during his match against Pierre-Hugues Herbert. He explained the difficult conditions to reporters:
"I was very dizzy out there. I didn't sleep well yesterday and the day before. I was fatigued and starting to get dizzy out there with the heat hitting me."
Tomic went on to describe the heat break rule as "interesting" but did not offer any opinion on whether or not he sees it as fair.
Scottish tennis star Andy Murray also described the 41°C heat index on court as "difficult" admitting that he was glad to win against Mikhail Kukushkin in just three sets as he didn't want to be "playing extremely long matches in those conditions," ESPN reports.
Like Tomic, Murray was also diplomatic when he was asked for his view on the "heat break" rule, simply stating, "I don't really want to get into that."
On the other hand, Murray's mom Judy Murray, has been outspoken on the issue of heat breaks since her older son Jamie suffered heat stroke at the 2014 Australian Open.
Seen handing out cups of water to spectators yesterday, Judy told the Herald Scotland that the competition shouldn't put the players' health at risk, stating, "You cannot mess with people's health."
She went on to explain why she believes the "heat break" rule should be extended to men:
"And for the men working across the best of five sets it's incredibly physically and mentally draining, so I think the men should take advantage of it as well."
Watch this animation of what happens when you get heat stroke:
Read: Tennis injuries
Heatstroke and other health risks
Like Jamie Murray at the Australian Open, players at Wimbledon could face the risk of heat stroke - a medical condition when body temperature exceeds 41°C. Exercise-induced heat stroke is common amongst fit, young athletes playing in hot, humid conditions. Common symptoms include:
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Rapid pulse
- Irritability
- Hot, dry, red skin
Dizziness from the heat may cause a player to misstep or lose their balance, increasing their risk of injury. Other risks include heat cramps and heat exhaustion.
Read more:
Heat stroke a great risk to endurance runners
