Australian Open adjusts schedule as extreme heat hits Melbourne Park

The Australian Open organisation announced that Saturday’s schedule will begin one hour earlier than usual due to the high temperatures expected later in the day at Melbourne Park. The decision aims to reduce the impact of extreme heat on both the players and the fans attending the venue.

According to information released by the tournament, third-round matches on the main courts of the complex will start at 10:30 a.m. local time, while action on the outside courts will begin half an hour earlier. The schedule adjustment responds to the forecast weather conditions, with temperatures expected to rise progressively throughout the day.

Among those set to play their matches earlier are the defending women’s Australian Open champion Madison Keys and Italian world No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti, who will take to the court for their third-round matches in search of a place among the final 16 players of the tournament.

In an official statement, the organisation explained that temperatures are expected to reach close to 30 degrees Celsius by midday, with a peak during the afternoon. In addition, according to the Australian government’s meteorological service, temperatures could rise as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the late hours of the day.

In light of this scenario, the Australian Open urged all attendees to prepare for the heat and to make use of the additional shaded areas and cooling zones distributed throughout the grounds. These measures are part of the tournament’s usual plan to deal with days of intense heat, a recurring factor during the Australian summer.

Since 2019, the Grand Slam has implemented an extreme heat policy that includes additional breaks for players and the possible suspension of matches if certain thresholds are exceeded. This system takes into account a combination of factors such as air temperature, radiant heat, humidity, and wind speed, with the goal of protecting players’ health and ensuring safe playing conditions.

As a result, Saturday’s matches will begin half an hour earlier, with several adjustments to the schedule. The day will start at 10:30 a.m. local time, opening play on Rod Laver Arena with former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova against 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys. Immediately after that — not before 12:00 p.m. local time — men’s two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner will take to the court against Eliot Spizzirri.

Other matches scheduled to be played earlier include Jessica Pegula (6th seed) versus Oksana Selekhmeteva at Margaret Court Arena, Lorenzo Musetti (5th seed) against Tomas Machac at John Cain Arena, and Karen Khachanov (15th seed) versus Luciano Darderi (22nd seed) at Kia Arena. As on the main stadium, there are matches scheduled immediately after the first one, although not before 12:00 p.m. local time.

A few days ago, a particular situation occurred during the first-round match between Zeynep Sonemz and world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova, in which a ball girl collapsed due to the intense heat hitting Melbourne, and the Turkish player created touching images as she quickly approached to help her after she fainted towards the end of the second set.

The 23-year-old Turk was receiving serve in the middle of the ninth game when she noticed the situation and immediately moved closer. She helped the ball girl, prompting an ovation from the crowd. Sonemz lifted the ball kid into a chair near the side of the arena, while medical personnel quickly approached to assist the girl. Within just a couple of minutes, the situation had been brought under control and the match resumed — a match that ultimately ended in a surprising victory for the Turkish qualifier, 7–5, 4–6, 6–4.