Wimbledon was, officially, as scorching as anywhere else in the United Kingdom on Monday.
But the world’s premier tennis players nonetheless faced off on the venue’s famous grass courts as temperatures soared past 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or more than 32 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest opening day for the tournament since it began 148 years ago.
The sun beat down on everyone — players, referees, fans, ball boys and girls. Even for a competition that is regularly played in the summer, the weather tested the fortitude of just about everyone gathered at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club about a half-hour outside central London.
Organizers of the storied event had put in place special measures to combat the heat: There were more than 100 water refill stations dotted around the grounds for spectators and staff, more than ever. The club distributed 6,700 refillable water bottles to its staff. Special shade areas were set up.
“We are prepared for the predicted hot weather, with comprehensive plans in place,” the tournament organizers said in a statement as the games began. “Shade mapping (a detailed shade study) helps our stewards guide guests to the coolest areas.”
In spite of this, for some spectators it was too much.
During his first-round match on Centre Court, Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish player and defending Wimbledon champion, was one of the first to notice when a fan in the stands collapsed. He pointed out the incident to the officials and handed a cold water bottle into the crowd. The fifth set was delayed for about 16 minutes while medical personnel attended to the spectator.
Of course, Wimbledon is not the only tennis tournament to deal with extreme heat. Temperatures for the Australian Open, which is played at the height of that country’s summer in January, have sometimes hit 100 degrees. And the U.S. Open is played in New York in late August and September, which can be baking hot.
Still, the heat inside the 42 acres of grounds that make up the Wimbledon site was all but impossible to escape, even for those sitting in the Royal Box, an area of 80 seats overlooking Centre Court that — like the rest of the stands — does not have air conditioning, according to club officials.
Fans who gathered joined the tournament’s famous queue, when fans line up hoping to secure a day ticket, struggled to keep cool. Some used umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. The tennis club said on Monday that there would be a pharmacy where spectators could purchase sunscreen. A London ambulance service was on site for any heat-related emergencies.
Weather alerts were broadcast on big screens set up around the venue and pushed out through text alerts and the Wimbledon social media accounts, officials said.
On the courts, the accommodations for the sweltering weather were obvious, too.
The ball boys and girls who dart across the courts to retrieve tennis balls were operating under something Wimbledon calls the “Beau Geste” protocol, named after an early 20th century novel and film about the French Foreign Legion. That meant that they wore special scarves designed to keep them cooler by covering their necks, similar to those used by members of the French military unit.
For players, the tournament’s “heat rule” was in effect, allowing officials or either player in a singles match to ask for a 10-minute break. The rule was not triggered on Monday, but players used ice packs and cooling towels during the regular breaks between games.
Dr. Akshay Deoras, a research scientist in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, said the high temperatures were the result of a “heat dome” centered near Denmark, drawing in hot, dry air from the south.
“Heat waves are deadly,” he said in a statement not specifically aimed at the Wimbledon tournament. “Prolonged heat can overwhelm the body’s ability to regulate temperature, leading to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and potentially fatal heatstroke.”
Dr. Deoras urged people in Britain to “avoid outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day, stay hydrated even if you’re not thirsty, and avoid alcohol.”
For the athletes and fans at Wimbledon who chose not to take that advice, the challenge was how to avoid the worst consequences of the heat while enjoying the on-court drama of the world’s most famous tennis tournament.
By the end of the day, the competition did not disappoint, with several big upsets.
Fabio Fognini, from Italy, forced a fifth set against Mr. Alcaraz. Madison Keys, the American player and Australian Open champion, defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania, who had fallen ill and vomited on the sidelines of the court. Nicolás Jarry, of Chile, upset Holger Rune, a much higher ranked player from Denmark.
Weather forecasters said the record-breaking heat would get even worse on Tuesday, with second-day play set to continue and temperatures forecast to reached as high as 98 degrees.
Michael D. Shear is a senior Times correspondent covering British politics and culture, and diplomacy around the world.
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