Arthur Rinderknech suffered a collapse on the court due to intense heat and ultimately withdrew from his Cincinnati Open third-round contest against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Rinderknech dropped the initial set with a score of 7-6 (7-4), but managed to equalize at 2-2 in the subsequent set. However, he suddenly collapsed near the baseline just as Auger-Aliassime from Canada was about to serve.
Auger-Aliassime, along with the match official, promptly rushed to assist the stricken Frenchman, after which medical personnel arrived on the scene.
The 30-year-old athlete, who had been competing for close to two hours, received a cooling break, during which ice packs were applied to his neck and legs. Following this, he indicated his readiness to resume play.
Nevertheless, he only participated in two more games before deciding to retire, thus enabling Auger-Aliassime to advance to the round of 16.
The players have been dealing with oppressive heat conditions throughout the duration of the tournament, with temperatures consistently climbing above 30 degrees Celsius.
British number two, Cameron Norrie, appeared to be in discomfort and was visibly drenched in perspiration during his second-round defeat against the seasoned Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday.
Wimbledon experienced its hottest opening day in June, recording temperatures as high as 32.3 degrees Celsius. Carlos Alcaraz’s five-set victory over Fabio Fognini in the first round was concluded after a 15-minute interruption in the deciding set, prompted by the illness of a spectator seated in direct sunlight.
The Australian Open held in January was also characterized by scorching temperatures nearing 34 degrees Celsius.
In 2019, the organizers implemented the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale with the aim of monitoring environmental conditions and mitigating potential health risks for the players.
