WTA action might have returned to Memphis after over a decade, but the players have been feeling the heat literally, as temperatures are set to be high during the week at the Memphis Classic. The event has already been disrupted, with the qualifying action on Sunday suspended due to scorching hot conditions.

The final qualifying round match between Storm Hunter and Sofia Johnson was suspended after both players were tied at a set apiece, which was also followed in the match between Aoi Ito and Ye-Xi Ma as well. Being a WTA event, the Memphis Classic also comes under the WTA’S extreme heat weather policy, which takes ambient temperature readings while also taking overall humidity into account. Should the minimum WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) exceed 32.6 degrees, regulations state that matches are to be suspended, which was in Memphis as the temperature on Sunday crossed the 40-degree mark.

The matches were finished later with Hunter and Ma winning their respective qualifying rounds, but the same threat remains for the rest of the week. The temperatures in Memphis are projected to be upwards of 90 degrees F, with peak heat around 98-99 degrees F and humidity around 70 percent. There are rain forecasts in the latter part of the week, which will see the temperatures cooling down, but players will have to grit it out as Day 1’s matches on Monday start from 10 AM local time. The temperatures could be a problem as women’s tennis made its return to Memphis since 2013, with the hard court event being held in Cleveland over the years.

Heat has already played a telling part in this year’s tennis season, as scorching conditions in Melbourne saw the heat policy come into effect with roofs closing and players getting extended breaks during set changeovers. The first week of the French Open saw an unprecedented heat wave, which played a key part in the tournament’s result, as top-seeded Jannik Sinner struggled in the conditions leading up to his shock exit. Even at Wimbledon, a heat policy was in place this year to protect players from record-breaking high temperatures in London.

Memphis does not have the benefit of a retractable roof like the Slams, and given the projected temperatures, the effectiveness of the heat policy remains to be seen. However, the event does have one ace up its sleeve, which it can use if the heat gets out of control and the outdoor courts are no longer fit to play on.

The Memphis Classic Can Use Its Indoor Courts Should the Heat Be Unbearable

Being held at the Leftwich Tennis Center, the Memphis Classic will have the option to use its indoor hard courts to complete matches should multiple matches be suspended due to heat. The event is classified as an outdoor hard-court event, but the organizers have the power to use indoor facilities if necessary.

Such a move is not new in tennis, but it has been used at events where matches kept being postponed by rain. During the Shanghai Masters in 2024, the organizers took the step of moving a lot of the early-round matches to the indoor hard courts so that the draw could move along and the competition could be finished within the allotted window.

The temperatures are set to break somewhat in Memphis later this week, which means the organizers will have their work cut out for them during the first couple of rounds over the first three to four days, when the heat is supposed to be at its peak. The 32-player draw is quite stacked at the returning Memphis event, with the likes of Ekaterina Alexandrova, McCartney Kessler, and Viktorija Golubic as the top three seeds, with former Grand Slam champions like Sloane Stephens also being in the draw.