Players are competing against the weather at this year’s French Open. The temperatures have soared as high as 33°C regularly, leading to several mid-match retirements on both the ATP and WTA sides. While players are struggling, a certain Alexander Zverev seems to rather “like” the heat, as he took a neutral stand on a recent change at the tournament.

Having secured a place in the quarterfinals after dropping just one set in the first four matches, Zverev has been quite dominant on the clay courts of Paris. As the German doesn’t seem to mind playing in the intense heat, he doesn’t really care if the tournament decides to change its weather protocols or not.

“It’s difficult for me to answer because I like heat. I’ve always felt comfortable in the heat. The only time I didn’t feel comfortable was in Tokyo at the Olympics, and at that moment it was a different kind of heat; we were all dying on the court. But overall, I don’t know there have been brutal matches, there have been very tough conditions, but those kinds of matches would have been brutal anywhere with how long they were, with how the rallies were. So, I don’t know. I’m not a politician, and I don’t know what the rules are,” he said during a press conference.

Zverev, as he mentioned about Tokyo, was vocal in criticizing the ITF for their refusal to move the matches to evening despite the day temperatures touching 37°C at the Olympic Games in 2021. He called the daytime conditions “unbelievably difficult,” arguing that forcing athletes to play in such intense heat and high humidity was a threat to their health and the fairness of the competition. However, Zverev did use those conditions to his advantage. With low bounce on offer on the dark-colored Deco Turf, he altered his game to win the gold medal against Karen Khachanov in the finals.

The French Open made a change to its weather policy. The new rules now say if the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) sensors reach a temperature of 30.1°C, officials can add 10-minute cooling breaks for players in between the sets. The breaks can be added between the second and third sets for women’s matches and between the third and fourth sets for men’s matches.

Additionally, matches taking place on the outdoor courts can be suspended if the temperature reaches 32.2°C. Though the hot conditions in Paris have been nothing short of a nightmare for many players, Zverev has flourished under the bright sun.

With the heat making clay firmer, it is helping his fast serves with high bounce. The German star is also using heat management techniques on court to stay hydrated. He has frequently used ice vests or bags of ice on changeovers to stay cool.

Being the World No. 3, Zverev is now the highest-ranked player remaining in the men’s draw. While Carlos Alcaraz didn’t participate in the tournament due to a wrist injury, Jannik Sinner shockingly got knocked out by Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. With Novak Djokovic also out of the mix after getting eliminated in the third round, many feel that Zverev wouldn’t get a better opportunity to win his first-ever Grand Slam.

Zverev has made it to three Grand Slam finals so far in his career but has never been able to cross the penultimate hurdle. The 29-year-old first reached a Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, losing to Dominic Thiem. His next appearance in a Grand Slam final would come at the 2024 French Open, but Alcaraz would get the better of him on this occasion. Finally, Zverev had also reached the final of the 2025 Australian Open, but Sinner proved to be just too good for him.

However, the German may finally be able to end his long wait for a Grand Slam triumph at the ongoing French Open. Despite not winning any titles, Zverev has had a strong clay swing so far. He currently has a win-loss record of 17-4 and has especially looked to be in great touch at Roland Garros.

Though he is yet to face a seeded player, Zverev has been able to brush aside all his opponents rather comfortably so far. His first serious test of the tournament can come in the quarterfinals, where he will come up against the 19-year-old Rafael Jodar. The two have never met in a tour-level match before, so fans are excited to see their matchup for the first time.

While the timings of the match are yet to be decided, Zverev wouldn’t mind playing in the afternoon despite the extremely hot weather. However, not many players can say the same, as a number of them have had to withdraw from their respective matches due to the grueling conditions at the French capital.

Players just can’t seem to handle the heat at the French Open

It was evident that the players wouldn’t be able to handle the hot conditions on the first day of the main draw itself. Canada’s Gabriel Diallo retired from the match against James Duckworth shortly after taking a medical timeout due to a lower-back issue. He had later cited the weather as a reason behind his withdrawal. “That’s mainly what it was. It was getting worse and worse,” he had said after the match.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse decided to retire at 6-7, 1-2 against Magdalena Frech later during the same day after consulting her physio.

Cameron Norrie retired from a match for only the second time in his career during the clash against Daniel Vallejo. The Brit was trailing 6-7, 0-2 when he decided to call it quits. This just shows how extreme the conditions had gotten in Paris.

Finally, Moyuka Uchijima retired from her first-round clash against Claire Liu after being severely affected by the heat. The Japanese just didn’t want to continue playing in such intense conditions, and this handed her opponent a 3-6, 6-0, 4-1 victory.

Some players have also complained about encountering stomach aches during their matches at Roland Garros this year. One of them was Arthur Gea, who even had to take a medical timeout to rush to the washroom during his first-round match against Karen Khachanov.

Francisco Comesana also suffered from a similar issue during his third-round clash against Matteo Berrettini. But, unlike Gea, he had to take emergency bathroom breaks on a total of three occasions. These frequent breaks frustrated his opponent quite a bit.

However, the weather is expected to change drastically in the French capital in the second week of the tournament. Rain is forecasted on multiple days of the week. While some players would be happy to not face the intense heat, rain can cause its own fair share of problems and can end up delaying or suspending several important matches during the day.