The ATP Tour will add a new regulation to solve the problem of competing in excessively high temperatures in professional men's tennis.
Accordingly, men's singles matches in the 3-set format will be allowed to have a 10-minute break, starting from next season. This regulation is similar to the policy that has been applied to women's tennis for more than 30 years.
The ATP Executive Board has issued a new regulation with the aim of strengthening "protective measures for tennis players competing in harsh conditions".
At the Shanghai Masters in October, many tennis players called on the ATP to issue specific instructions to cope with hot and humid weather.
Reigning champion Jannik Sinner had to stop the match due to serious cramps, while Novak Djokovic - the owner of 24 Grand Slam titles - also complained about the conditions for competition after vomiting in a win.
"It's really harsh when the humidity exceeds 80% day by day. This especially affects players who play during the day in the harsh sun," Djokovic said at the time.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has issued regulations to protect players from hot weather for the first time since 1992. The new ATP regulation is based on the wet body temperature index (WBGT), a measure that combines temperature, humidity and other environmental factors.
Accordingly, when the WBGT reached 30.1 degrees Celsius (about 86.2 degrees F) or more in one of the first two sets of a 3-set match, any player can request a 10-minute break. If the WBGT breaks above 32.2 degrees Celsius (about 90 degrees F), the match will be forced to postpone.
During the break, players are allowed to change their attire, take a cool bath, supplement water or apply other cooling measures under the supervision of the ATP medical team. They are also allowed to receive guidance from their coaches.
Grand Slams still have their own weather policies. The US Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon all use regulations based on the WBGT index, similar to tennis tournaments at the Olympics organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Meanwhile, the Australian Open applies a temperature scale.
