Players, Spectators Dealing with Wimbledon’s Hottest Opening Day

*Alcaraz avoids shock defeat to Italian Veteran

* Sabalenka in flying start

Players, ground staff and spectators had to contend with sweltering conditions as Wimbledon recorded its hottest opening day on record.

Air temperature on the grounds had reached 32.3C by 16:00 BST on Monday, surpassing the previous record at the start of a Championships – the 29.3C set in 2001.

However, the tournament’s extreme heat rule, which allows players a 10-minute break, has not yet been enforced because Wimbledon measures additional factors to determine heat stress.

Players were given ice packs, cold towels and plenty of water to help regulate their temperature during changeovers.

The ball boys and girls were also given cooling scarves, while spectators attempted to shade themselves with hats, umbrellas and even towels, and others cooled themselves with hand-held fans.

The hottest temperature ever recorded during the tournament remains the 35.7C reached in 2015.

Temperatures are again forecast to return to the mid-30s on Tuesday.

Wimbledon organisers use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) heat index, which combines air temperature, humidity and surface temperature readings, to determine when the heat rule should be enforced.

The 10-minute breaks are allowed after the second set for all best-of-three set matches, and after the third for all best-of-five set matches, with players permitted to leave the court during the interval.

Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a seismic shock against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the Wimbledon first round to set up a meeting with British qualifier Oliver Tarvet.

Alcaraz dug deep to win 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 2-6 6-1 as he opened the Centre Court play on a sweltering first day of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

The 22-year-old Spaniard quickly secured victory when an entertaining contest resumed after a 15-minute pause in the deciding set.

In the women’s section, world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, celebrated her Wimbledon return with victory in the first round but two-time runner-up Ons Jabeur retired after struggling physically on the tournament’s hottest ever opening day.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, who missed last year’s tournament with a shoulder injury, got off to a flying start on Court One before a more testing second set as she beat Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1 7-5.

  • Related Posts

    Plumptre scores as Super Falcons qualify for WAFCON 2026

    Plumptre scores as Super Falcons qualify for WAFCON 2026

    EFL Cup: Boost for Chelsea as Delap set to return against Wolves

    EFL Cup: Boost for Chelsea as Delap set to return against Wolves

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Business & Economy

    Nigerian Senate confirms 6 new RMAFC Commissioners amid push for revenue reform

    MAN projects 14% inflation rate, 23% benchmark interest in 2026 

    GTCO reports pre-tax profit of N299.9 billion in Q3 2025, up 39% Year-on-Year  

    BREAKING: Tribunal orders GHL to pay First Bank $112,100, N111m over OML 120 dispute

    Police seal Nestoil head office over $1 billion, N430 billion debt  

    Sanusi blames delayed fuel subsidy removal for Nigeria’s economic hardship

    Dangote to invest $1 billion in Zimbabwe’s cement, coal, and power sector 

    PenCom, ICPC sign MoU to recover unremitted pension funds, enforce compliance

    Cadbury Nigeria names Folake Ogundipe as Executive Director, discloses new board structure 

    NDLEA seeks forfeiture of Proxy Night Club for hosting drug party

    Risk, discipline, self-education, and hustle mentality: What it takes to learn the skill of trading 

    Foreign investors buy over N1 trillion Nigerian stocks in nine months 

    RAMP Africa: Oxford Global Think Tank targets mining reforms, sustainable investment 

    GTCO’s HabariPay records N4.02 billion profit in H1 2025 

    Bridging markets and meaning: How Temi Popoola is steering NGX Group toward social impact 

    Hilda Baci Joins Scanfrost as Brand Ambassador

    BREAKING: Police seal Nestoil headquarters as First Bank seizes assets owned by firm, Azudialu-Obiejesi

    BREAKING: Police seal Nestoil headquarters as First Bank seizes assets owned by firm, Azudialu-Obiejesi

    Access Holdings’ fintech, Hydrogen, records N966 million profit in half-year 2025 

    Vitel Wireless to launch Oct 30th as Nigeria’s First  MVNO Network with 0712 

    2026 New Tax Laws and their changes: How Nigerian businesses can get ready 

    Eunisell Interlinked grows revenue 23% to N445 million in Q1 2026, profit margins narrow 

    Naira strengthens towards N1,450/$ mark 

    Beyond the big numbers: Rethinking how we tell stories about education in Nigeria 

    Nigeria faces $1.12 billion Eurobond, N100 billion Sukuk maturities late 2025 

    A new address for future-forward living: Mshel Pent Haven by Mshel Homes 

    Ecobank grows Q3 2025 pre-tax profit by 47% as interest income, FX gains drive performance 

    Palm City releases Q3 2025 report, showcasing major progress at its pilot nursery and commitment to sustainability 

    An open letter to Taiwo Oyedele: A call for balance on Capital Gains Tax policy 

    International Breweries vs Nigerian Breweries in 2025: Who performs better and offers better value?

    2025 9 Months: BUA Cement’s profit triples to N290bn despite rising energy costs 

    Amazon to lay off 30,000 corporate staff as AI reshape operations 

    Airtel Africa reports $376m half-year profit as data and fintech growth drive margins 

    Urban planning law: FG faults states for non-implementation 30 years after 

    2025 9 Months: Dangote Cement posts record N743bn profit despite flat volumes 

    South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe secures $1.01 billion Australian copper mine deal 

    Oyedele counters claims of investor frustration over Nigeria’s new capital gains tax

    Oyedele counters claims of investor frustration over Nigeria’s new capital gains tax