Tennis can be brutal, both physically and mentally. Players often talk about how back-to-back tournaments and long hours on court leave them exhausted. But grit and determination push them through. Still, what happens when the conditions turn cruel? Remember last month in London, when players complained about battling a heat wave at Wimbledon? Spectators fainted in the stands. Players were left drained by the end. Now, Cincinnati brings more chaos and scary news.
On Monday, Arthur Rinderknech walked out for his Cincinnati R32 against Felix Auger-Aliassime, determined to swing big. The 30-year-old battled hard but dropped the first in a tiebreak, 7-6(4). The second set turned tense. After Auger-Aliassime broke back for 2-2, Rinderknech headed for a towel, tried to sit—and collapsed onto his back. He rose and played on, but never won another game, retiring to put the Canadian into the last 16.
Coming into the tournament, Rinderknech defeated Nuno Borges in straight sets and took down the 11th seed Casper Ruud to make it this far! His progress was shaping up to look positive, possibly matching his Generali run of reaching the semifinals. However, the temperature in Ohio had the last word.
It’s been a theme all week. The heat has been brutal, and players have been dropping like flies. Since the tournament kicked off last week, several have struggled to finish, with on-court retirements piling up. Temperatures have soared to 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit), forcing more than a few competitors to quite literally throw in the towel.
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Just a day earlier, former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev became the latest big name to crash out early. The extreme heat clearly played a part. While trailing Adam Walton 1-4 in the deciding set, the Russian stuck his head inside a fridge in a desperate bid to cool down. It was that kind of day in Cincinnati.
And Medvedev wasn’t alone. Andrey Rublev and others have openly complained about the “super hot” conditions. Ice towels were everywhere—draped around necks, wrapped over heads—but they did little to cut through the suffocating heat on court. This week in Cincinnati, survival has become just as important as the tennis itself.
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