It has been a difficult week for top tennis stars at the 2023 US Open. With temperatures soaring and humidity levels hitting high, players are bracing against unfavorable circumstances to deliver it big in the last Grand Slam tournament of the season. However, last year’s finalist, Ons Jabeur, suffered a sudden medical condition during her first-round match. Suffering from the flu and her “history of asthma” only made it worse.

The Tunisian star was up against Camila Osorio of Columbia in the opening round of the tournament. Playing at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in hot conditions, she felt uneasy during the first set.

Ons Jabeur suffers breathlessness during her match

The soaring humidity in New York City this time of the year is a deterrent for most. Nonetheless, tennis players pour into the city for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year. As they lay their tracks to glory with steadfast dedication, even the best of plans may end up being upset. In her Round 1 match, as the 29-year-old tersely battled the elements alongside her Colombian opponent, Ons Jabeur was left breathless.

Subsequently, Jabeur had her blood pressure checked. The doctor even checked her pulse as a precautionary measure to ensure nothing was serious. While they declared her fit to play, her game had taken a hit. Before the medical timeout, she was up a double break, leading 4-1. However, as her health condition began deteriorating, she lost four consecutive games to trail 5-4 in the first set.

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Despite the medical episode, the resilient Tunisian came back and went on to win the opening set 7-5. The second set was a see-saw battle, with Jabeur finally clinching the set and the match.

But the condition of the former World No. 2 raised concerns about the tournament’s regulations too. The unfavorable climatic conditions, with high temperatures and humidity levels, have been a constant feature in the recent past. To counter such unpredictable situations, the US Open introduced a certain policy a few years ago: Extreme Heat Policy.

What is the US Open’s Extreme Heat Policy that Novak Djokovic availed?

In 2018, as the temperatures touched 100 degrees F, the US Open implemented the Extreme Heat Policy for the first time in its history. While the WTA players were already allowed a 10-minute break between the second and the third sets, the ATP also allowed its players to have a mini-break as a respite in the hot and humid conditions.

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Novak Djokovic and Marton Fucsovics, in the second match in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, were among the men to take advantage of the policy. They weren’t allowed to talk to their team in the locker room. “I want to thank the US Open for allowing us to have the 10-minute break, because we both needed it,” Djokovic said.

Nonetheless, Jabeur will look to recover quickly in the hope of bettering her last year’s result. Can she win her maiden Grand Slam title at this year’s US Open? Or with the elements get the better of her? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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