It’s gonna be a scorcher!
Year after year, the Australian Open is known to be one of the hottest Grand Slams, requiring players to take hydration, rest and nutrition extra seriously.
As a matter of fact, the highest temperature ever recorded in Australia was during the 2022 Australian Open at 123.3 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 13 (South Australia). The same historic temperature was measured on Jan. 2, 1960 (South Australia).
It’s not only the intense heat from Australia being located near the equator, but also the fact that hard courts are on average 15 to 20 degrees hotter than the air temperature, making playing conditions even more brutal.
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The extreme conditions make the Australian Open one of the most difficult Slams to win in the tennis calendar.
Let’s take a look at the weather expected for the 2023 Australian Open:
What is the season during the 2023 Australian Open?
Sports
During the Australian Open, it is summer down under.
The summer months in 2023 run from Dec. 1 through Feb. 28.
How hot is it usually at the Australian Open?
On average, the weather at the Australian Open is usually anywhere between 68 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is the anticipated weather for the 2023 Australian Open?
Tuesday in Melbourne is going to be hot – 96 degrees Fahrenheit with evening showers across the park, according to Weather.com.
The good news is that the temperature will drop for the remainder of the tournament. The hottest scheduled day after Day 2 will be on Jan. 29, which is men’s final day, at 82 degrees.
The coolest day of the tournament will be Thursday, Jan. 19, at 64 degrees.
Who played the hottest tennis match at the Australian Open?
Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils battled it out at the 2018 Australian Open in court temperatures that reached a whopping 156.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
The conditions became so bad that Monfils admitted he was “shaking and dizzy.”
The Serbian icon Djokovic said after the match that he’s worried that the supervisors are putting the business of the tournament ahead of players’ health.
“I think there are certain days where you just have to, as a tournament supervisor, recognize that you might need to give players few extra hours until it comes down,” he said. “But I think there is a limit, and that is a level of I guess tolerance between being fit and being, I think, in danger in terms of health. Today was right at the limit.”
The Australian Open has an extreme heat policy but is only implemented when the humidity is high as well as the temperature is.
What is the extreme heat policy?
First introduced in 1998 with its current iteration implemented in 2019, the extreme heat rule uses a scale of one to five taking into account four climate factors: air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed.
If the scale gets to a four, the tournament ref will allow a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in a women's match, while the men get a 10-minute break after the third set.
If the scale hits a five, the tournament ref can suspend the start of matches and matches in progress can pause after hitting an even number of games in a set.
Were any Australian Open matches suspended due to heat?
Matches at the Australian Open have been suspended a number of times throughout the years due to heat.
When does the roof get closed due to heat at the Australian Open?
Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena all have retractable roofs.
The roof is a wonderful addition because if temperatures hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit, players can still compete. Players on outside courts would be suspended at that temperature.
The match referee is allowed to enable the stadium roof if the temperature reaches anything beyond 95 degrees.
