Wimbledon 2025 kicked off not just with powerful forehands and dramatic rallies but with blazing heat that stole the spotlight. Monday turned out to be the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history, as temperatures soared to a staggering 32.3 degrees Celsius (90.14 F). The All England Club, usually a postcard of crisp whites and cool breezes, transformed into a sweltering arena of sun hats, handheld fans, and frantic water breaks. Players like top seed Jannik Sinner acknowledged the unrelenting heat as matches carried on under the scorching sun.

That record-breaking heat didn’t just rattle players. It broke Wimbledon’s opening-day temperature record, surpassing the 29.3 degrees set back in 2001. The French meteorological service, Meteo France, confirmed the new high, as the tournament’s heat rule was triggered, allowing players 10-minute breaks mid-match to cool off. Carlos Alcaraz battled through five intense sets against veteran Fabio Fognini on Monday. In a dramatic fifth set, play was paused for 15 minutes when a spectator fainted in the stands. The Spaniard, known for his sportsmanship, handed water to the distressed fan during the delay.

Day 2 didn’t bring any relief as temperatures reached 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 F). But despite the heat, fans showed up in huge numbers. The buzz around Centre Court was electric as spectators packed the stands to watch ATP No. 1 Jannik Sinner and WTA star Jessica Pegula take the court. The Wimbledon queue was once again the stuff of legend. One fan posted on X, “Over 10,000 people in the Wimbledon queue for tickets is unbelievable. One thing us English are good at is queuing. #Wimbledon2025 🎾🎾🎾”

Even Emma Raducanu gave a nod to the fans’ commitment in the heat. In her BBC Sport interview, she said, “Hey everyone! Thank you for waiting in the queue today. I know it was extremely hot. So we really value and love your commitment and I really hope you got a ticket.”

Jannik Sinner wasn’t fazed by the heat or the opponent. He delivered a dominant performance, cruising to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win against fellow Italian Luca Nardi. It was the perfect response after his setbacks at Roland Garros and Halle. After the match, he talked about the London weather and said, “I’m very very happy to come back here. It’s such a special place for me. Playing an Italian is, for us, very unfortunate 😂. But one has to go through so I’m happy it’s me. The atmosphere is amazing as always. I know it’s very hot, very humid. I don’t remember the last time the weather was like this in London.”

Sinner is also heating things up in another way on the court.

Jannik Sinner lights up his serve in astonishing video

A jaw-dropping video of the World No. 1 lighting a match with his serve has set Instagram ablaze. In the viral clip, Sinner fires a serve so precise it lights a match standing upright in the grass.

The video, which crossed six million views by 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, has fans debating whether it’s real or the result of hilarious editing. Either way, it’s got everyone talking and watching on repeat.

The 23-year-old is chasing his fourth Grand Slam and his first at Wimbledon. He reached the quarterfinals here last year and now hopes to dethrone Carlos Alcaraz, who got the better of him in their epic French Open final. Up next, Jannik Sinner will face Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the second round.

Wimbledon is heating up fast, and not just because of the weather. Get all the action from the Championships live and uninterrupted on EssentiallySports!