Heat, a real risk during the US Open

From August 24th to September 7th, the world's best players will gather in New York for the final Grand Slam of the year: the US Open. For several years now, the tournament, which takes place on the courts of Flushing Meadows, has been facing an increasingly unavoidable problem: the heat.

Last year, several players suffered from the weather conditions, with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius and humidity levels exceeding 70%. Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry even vomited during a match, struck by the extreme heat.

This year, the expected weather conditions are worse. With the sun-reflecting court surfaces, temperatures could reach 50 degrees Celsius on some courts. This is cause for concern for both participants and organizers.

The latter have already planned measures - already adopted in previous editions - to avoid putting athletes in danger. The retractable roofs of the Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums will be partially closed, even in dry weather, to provide shade, ten-minute breaks between sets will be offered to players, and cooling areas will be made available.

In the future, organizers may take more drastic measures. Matches could be played later in the day, and moving the tournament to other, more favorable dates is even being considered.