Wimbledon 2025 has been anything but predictable. First came the record-shattering exits—eight top-10 seeds crashed out in the first round, the most ever at any Slam in the Open era. Then came the sweltering heat, marking the hottest start in the tournament’s history. And now, just as fans were adjusting their sunglasses, the umbrellas are out. The London skies have opened up again, bringing play to a halt on the outer courts.

At the time of the interruption, Elena Rybakina was locked in at 4-4 against Clara Tauson. Belinda Bencic had taken the first set against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, while Daria Kasatkina was trailing by a set and a break to Liudmila Samsonova. Dayana Yastremska was mounting a comeback against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. In the only men’s match in action, Flavio Cobolli was leading Jakub Mensik 6-2, 1-0.

But with the rain refusing to let up, covers were quickly rolled out, and all matches have been suspended for now. Officials have confirmed there will be no play on the outside courts before 1:30 pm BST (8:30 pm EST). Centre court and Court 1 are not affected as they have roofs. Mirra Andreeva and Hailey Baptiste will play under the roof of No. 1 Court at 1 pm. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner will take on Pedro Martínez on Centre Court at 1:30 pm.

According to the weather forecast, rain is expected to clear by 2 p.m. BST, only to return in a drizzle around 4 p.m.

The weather at Wimbledon this week has been anything but predictable. It was the blazing heat earlier in the week that posed a bigger challenge. Monday went down as one of the hottest days in the tournament’s history, pushing both organisers and players to adapt quickly. So, how did they brave it?

How Wimbledon tackled its hottest day

The sun proved too much for some. During Carlos Alcaraz’s first-round match on Centre Court, a spectator in the crowd collapsed due to the heat. Alcaraz was quick to spot the situation and handed a cold water bottle into the crowd while pointing it out to the umpire. The match was paused for about 16 minutes as medical staff responded.

Wimbledon officials were ready for the scorching heat. Over 100 water refill stations were placed across the grounds, more than ever before, to help spectators and staff stay hydrated. Staff members received 6,700 refillable water bottles, and shaded rest zones were set up around the venue. Outside the courts, fans queuing for day tickets—part of the iconic Wimbledon experience—were seen using umbrellas for shade as temperatures soared. The All England Club had also set up a pharmacy where fans could buy sunscreen, and London Ambulance Service teams were on standby for any heat-related incidents.

Weather alerts flashed on the giant screens throughout the grounds and were pushed via text and social media to keep everyone informed. As for the players, Wimbledon’s “heat rule” was officially in effect, allowing for a 10-minute break if requested. While no match hit the temperature threshold to trigger it, many players still turned to ice packs and cooling towels between games to beat the heat.

Now, just a few days later, umbrellas are up again, but this time for rain. Here’s hoping the sun breaks through soon, so the action can return to the grass where it belongs. Get all the action from the Championships live and uninterrupted on EssentiallySports.