The ATP, the entity that manages the men’s professional tennis circuit, announced this Tuesday (16) the introduction of a rule as protection against extreme heat from the new 2026 season, following criticism about it in recent tournaments.
“To reinforce the protection of players in extreme conditions”, tennis players will now be able to request a ten-minute break during the third set to cool down if the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index, which takes into account temperature, humidity and wind, reaches 30.1 during the first two sets”, explained the ATP.
The match will be stopped if this index exceeds 32.2.
The WTA, the entity that governs the women’s tennis circuit, had already implemented regulations on the subject.
The objective of the new rule approved by the ATP is to “protect the health of players” but also to “improve conditions for spectators, referees, ball boys and the organization team” of tournaments.
Until then, decisions about playing conditions related to weather and heat were the responsibility of the tournament supervisor, in consultation with medical teams and local organizers.
During 2025, the heat has been in the news on several occasions during the tennis season.
“Do you want a player to die on the court?” Danish Holger Rune asked in October during the tournament in Shanghai, China, where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius with 80% humidity.
The 2026 ATP season begins on January 2 in Australia with the United Cup, a national team tournament, and the first individual events are scheduled from January 5 in Brisbane, Australia, and Hong Kong.
