The women’s world No.1 played her match first-up on Rod Laver Arena with the roof open, the mercury climbing, the wet bulb drying and the crowd wilting.
Had her straight-sets victory gone into a third set – she beat Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0 – the roof would have been closed and the players given an extra break. As it was, no such intervention was needed.
Aryna Sabalenka cools down.Credit: AP
“At the end of the match, it was really hot out there,” Sabalenka said of the conditions.
“I’m glad they kind of closed the roof, like, almost half way, so we had a lot of shade in the back, so we could go back and stay in the shade.
“But it was hot out there. I guess, yeah, as a woman, we are stronger than the guys, so they had to close the roof for the guys so they don’t suffer, you know [laughter].”
The two-time Australian Open champion knew if the match went longer, the roof would be closed – as it was for the start of the Zverev-Tien match next up on Rod Laver Arena when the mercury edged 40 degrees.
The roof was closed half-way.Credit: Getty Images
“I knew going into this match that they [the organisers] won’t let us play in crazy heat. If it would reach the five [on the AO heat stress scale], they would definitely close the roof, so I knew that they were protecting us, our health.
“When we finished, and it was 4.4, so it was, you know, quite hot. It’s OK. I’m happy that I managed.”
For the uninitiated, the Australian Open operates to a heat stress scale that measures air temperature, radiant heat (the strength of the sun), humidity and wind speed.
They’re combined to return a rating from one to five. At five, play can come to a halt once an even number of games has been reached.
Sabalenka is a fan favourite.Credit: Penny Stephens
