Wimbledon is here, and it’s hot—literally and figuratively. As players kick off their first-round matches against the seeds, temperatures are soaring. Two-time defending champ Carlos Alcaraz is battling Fabio Fognini on Centre Court in what’s shaping up to be a tough five-setter. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek isn’t holding back in showing just how brutal the conditions are right now.

On Monday, London is expected to hit highs of 33 or 34 degrees Celsius (around 93°F). For those grinding it out on the court, the heat is brutal. Swiatek shared a playful video on her Instagram story during practice, wringing out a sweat-soaked cloth before tossing it at the camera. She captioned it: “@wimbledon what’s with this weather?😱 London, is that you?😅” It’s a shock for non-natives used to the UK’s usual chill or rain.

Following Swiatek’s post, an X user chimed in, “Wimbledon really needs to find some other measures to keep players healthy from the heat btw like i can see they’re trying their best rn but it’s gonna be like this the whole week. Towels alone won’t be able to help, especially when you consider most of the matches are at afternoon.” The tournament has responded by adding more water stations, creating shaded areas, and adjusting staff schedules. But is it enough?

Like Iga Swiatek, players have already spoken out about the heat. “Tough. Really, really tough,” Germany’s Eva Lys, who defeated Yue Yuan today, told reporters. “I think one thing that really helped me is to know my opponent has the same situation as me. I was sweating a lot, so my racket was very slippery.” On the other side, America’s doubles defending champ Taylor Townsend was caught off guard too.

She joked on Instagram, “Of course we decide to take the tube when it’s 88 degrees outside.” It’s not just Centre Court feeling the heat. Matches are underway, and the sweltering conditions will test every player’s stamina and focus.

Additionally, it was a grueling day for Carlos Alcaraz as well. The second seed started strong, taking the first set off Fabio Fognini, but the Italian fought back fiercely. The match stretched on for an epic four hours and 37 minutes, all under the scorching heat of the hottest day in The Championships’ history. It wasn’t easy for anyone out there. During the deciding set, play was suddenly halted.

Chair umpire James Keothavong announced a temporary suspension due to a health and safety incident involving a spectator. “Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately there has been an incident with a spectator. Health and safety is our priority. We will be pausing the match.” The intense heat had clearly taken its toll beyond the court. The defending champion quickly grabbed a bottle of water to assist the unwell spectator while medical staff attended to them.

It’s a rough situation to be in right now. Not to mention, Iga is coming in after a devastating loss at the Bad Homburg Open just two days ago. And now coming into Wimbledon, it might not be such an easy task. She’s already been vocal about the hectic scheduling of the tour.

Iga Swiatek laments over relentless tennis calendar

During her pre-tournament press conference, the Pole didn’t hold back about the tennis tour’s grueling schedule. She said players shouldn’t be forced to compete in more than 20 tournaments a year just to keep their rankings. The former world No. 1, now ranked fourth, described feeling trapped between representing her country and focusing on herself after skipping Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in April.

“The scheduling is super intense. It’s too intense. There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year,” Swiatek told reporters. “Sometimes we need to sacrifice playing for your country because we need to keep up with playing these WTA 500s, for example, because we’re going to get a zero in the ranking.”

This isn’t the first time Iga has spoken out about the calendar’s toll. Last year at the Cincinnati Open, she called the schedule “crazy” and explained, “There are sports that are really tough because, physically, you might get beat up. But most sports have four months off, sometimes even six. Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting more crazy every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely.”

Carlos Alcaraz also voiced concerns during the 2024 Laver Cup in August. He said, “The calendar’s so tight. A lot of tournaments … not as (many) days off as I want.” While eager to give his best for Team Europe, he joked about the physical toll: “Probably during the next few years, it’s going to be even more mandatory tournaments. Probably they’re gonna kill us in some way (chuckles).”

Now, with London’s heat showing no mercy, the players face even tougher conditions. Carlos Alcaraz managed to outplay the Italian in his opening match and advance to round two. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is set to face Polina Kudermetova for the first time. The big question: will she overcome the blistering heat and make a deep run this year? Wimbledon is certainly looking good this year; you can catch all the action on the Live Blog!