ATP Tour

Alcaraz aids stricken fan as brutal heat hits Wimbledon on Day 1

Wimbledon has opened its 138th edition under scorching conditions, with the tournament’s hottest opening Monday on record setting the stage for a drama-filled start.

According to the UK’s Met Office, temperatures have soared above 32 degrees Celsius, pushing players and spectators to their limits. Inevitably, the red-hot two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz found himself at the centre of the action.

Locked in a gruelling five-set battle with Italy’s Fabio Fognini, play was halted when a fan collapsed from heat stress. Demonstrating compassion, Alcaraz rushed over with a bottle of water, which was passed on to the struggling fan as medical teams intervened.

“Playing with such a high heat out there is really difficult to deal with," Alcaraz later said. "Even tougher when you're playing long matches, long rallies. So we're playing in brutal conditions. It's really tough to play with, but we are tennis players.

"Obviously, for the fan, and even here in London, they are not used to having this weather. Sitting five hours in the stand without moving, the sun hitting, could be really difficult to deal with for the spectators.”

Earlier in the day, ninth seed Daniil Medvedev became the first high-profile player to lose in the heat, falling to Benjamin Bonzi in four sets. It marks the first time in his seven Wimbledon appearances that the 29-year-old has failed to advance past the opening round.

Despite acknowledging Bonzi’s impressive performance, Medvedev didn’t shy away from highlighting the punishing weather.

“Physically it was not easy,” said Medvedev, the No. 9 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “When you're on fire, everything goes in. The fourth set was the toughest set for sure. And heat? I will never say he won because of the heat, but [it] is not easy to play. I do think if you ask him, he was not enjoying the heat either.”

While the soaring temperatures have tested players and spectators alike, they have also had an unexpected upside for the iconic grass courts. Neil Stubley, Head of Grounds and Horticulture at the All England Club, explained that the hot spell has been favourable for maintaining the playing surface.

“Hot weather actually provides good growing conditions for the grass at Wimbledon,” said Stubley. “Apart from some extra watering, no additional measures were necessary before the Championships.”

Some players appeared to deal with the heat better, and Chile's Nicolas Jarry was one of them. The World No. 143 put concerns aside to stun eighth seed Holger Rune in a thrilling five-set battle.

“It’s not difficult [to play five sets] in that heat," Jarry told ATPTour.com. "It’s much tougher to play three hours in Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires.”