ATP announces new rules over playing in extreme heat

The ATP will introduce a new extreme heat rule from the 2026 season which will allow players on the men’s tour to take a 10-minute cooling break during best-of-three sets singles matches.

The rule is similar to what the WTA – which governs women’s professional tennis – brought in more than 30 years ago to protect players in the heat.

At the Shanghai Masters in October, temperatures were as high as 34C and humidity at 80% in the daytime, and after world number 15 Holger Rune needed medical treatment during his third round match, the Dane asked an official: «Do you want a player to die on court?»

In a statement, the ATP said the policy was for «strengthening protections for players competing in extreme conditions».

The new rule is based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which measures heat stress in direct sunlight. It involves observing temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud cover.

If the WBGT reaches 30.1C or higher during the first two sets of a best-of-three match, either player can request a break of 10 minutes to cool off.

Under the supervision of ATP medical staff, players can hydrate, change clothing, shower and receive coaching.

Play will be suspended when the WBGT exceeds 32.2C.

«The new heat rule provides a structured, medically supported approach to managing extreme heat, with the objective of safeguarding player health, while also improving conditions for spectators, officials, ball persons and tournament staff,» the statement added.

Players have spoken out about the gruelling heat conditions at both men’s and women’s tournaments at tour level and Grand Slams in recent years, with this year’s Shanghai Masters and Wuhan Open – which was also held in October – facing harsh criticism for their sweltering conditions.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu had to retire from her first round match with dizziness, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic described the heat as «brutal», Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard said he felt like he was «dying on the court» because of the humidity and Jelena Ostapenko revealed she had «suffered heat stroke» after retiring through illness from her match.

The women’s WTA heat rule has been in place since 1992 and is used throughout the year at all tournaments.