For anyone who has ever played tennis, one knows that heat can be a real factor in how well one does. This is especially true on a hard court that radiates the warmth, but on any surface, conditions can be brutal.
Just ask Holger Rune, who asked an official at the 2025 Shanghai Masters, "Do you want a player to die on court?" The question wasn't asked in jest. It needed a real answer.
After all, for three decades, the WTA has had different rules than the ATP for a sport that is normally played outdoors and in warm weather. It isn't like someone is going to schedule an outdoor tournament in Oslo in February, for instance. Even then, the cold would be awful, but not as bad as the heat in China in early fall.
ATP finally comes around to the WTA's way of thinking
In 1992, the WTA implemented a rule where forced breaks would occur if the heat on the court reached a certain level. There is simply no reason to risk a player to harm if a short break will take care of the issue. This includes changing one's clothes, extra hydration, taking a cold shower, and other measures.
Beginning in 2026 in best-of-three matches (Grand Slam events tend to have their own set of rules), players participating in ATP-sanctioned events will have cooling measures put in place if the on-court heat, according to the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (which factors in heat, wind, the angle of the sun, and cloud cover), reaches 86.2 degrees Fahrenheit (30.1 Celsius).
If temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 Celsius), players can request a 10-minute break after the second set of a potential three-set match to cool off.
The new rules do help players, of course, but they aren't the only ones enduring the balmy conditions. Spectators, officials, and ball people do as well. If the heat is bad enough, they would also need a break, and a 10-minute period would also help them.
The odd part is that it took the ATP more than 30 years to implement a plan that the WTA already had. At least, a correction has now been made.