One of the worst things a tennis player can do to overcome the scorching temperatures at the Australian Open is to drink too much.
And for fans concerned about the health of the world’s best players slogging it out in the extreme heat expected in Melbourne this week, the message is simple: It isn’t that bad.
“We can play in these conditions and not be too concerned … the risk to health is relatively low,” said tournament doctor Tim Wood.
“We have never had anybody die from dehydration on a tennis court.
“We have had players almost die from drinking too much. So the danger is over-drinking, not under-drinking and becoming dehydrated.
“We have never had to put a drip in someone who has been so dehydrated that their vital signs, blood pressure and heart rate, have been compromised.”
Typical Australian Open, 40C-plus weather is forecast for Melbourne this week and has reignited the perennial discussion on the championship’s heat policy.
As they have done for many years, championship organisers operate an extreme-heat policy that can result in play being suspended due to high temperature, or for the roof to be closed on the two main stadium courts.
But Dr Wood played down concerns players might be disadvantaged, or even harmed, by playing too often in the heat.
“Tennis is relatively low risk for major heat problems compared to, in Melbourne, AFL football, compared to continuous running events,” Dr Wood said.
He said the total time the ball is in play in a tennis match is small compared to the total time of a match.
“Tennis, by and large, is a low-risk sport and that’s why … we can play in these conditions and not be too concerned,” he said.
“A lot of people get hot and look distressed and hot and bothered, as we all do. The actual risk to the health is relatively small compared to other sports.”
While Open organisers have various thresholds for calling off matches that differ between men’s, women’s, junior and wheelchair matches, there is no definitive point at which play is stopped.
That decision is made by tournament referee Wayne McKewen who assesses information from a variety of sources before calling a halt.