Wimbledon: New Rule Sparks Debate: “It Favors Jannik Sinner”
The heat wave sweeping across Europe is also being felt in London, where temperatures have been well above average for days, with highs of 35 degrees. On Wednesday, Wimbledon qualifying matches were interrupted for over an hour due to a power outage caused by the heat, and Jannik Sinner himself trained on Thursday wearing a special cooling vest to combat the heat.
Ahead of the tournament’s start, Wimbledon organizers have introduced a new rule: the rules will allow players a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in best-of-three-set matches, while in best-of-five-set matches, the break will be between the third and fourth sets. The match may be interrupted if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius, and either player may request the break.
The new rule has sparked snide remarks from the British press directed at Jannik Sinner. The British website tennis365 wrote that Sinner “will be happy” with the new heat rule and “will be heartened by the fact that he can once again be spared from the intense heat, just as he was at the Australian Open earlier this year,” a reference to the match against Eliot Spizzirri, which Sinner won after play was suspended and the roof closed due to excessive heat.
To best prepare for the challenges of the London heat, Sinner’s staff has developed a series of targeted measures. In addition to the cooling vest, the South Tyrolean often uses ice packs applied to his head to alleviate the effects of high temperatures. In recent weeks, Sinner has also been training while wearing a glucose sensor on his arm—a device commonly used by people with diabetes—to monitor his blood glucose levels and keep track of energy expenditure metrics.
The staff’s stated goal is to prevent a repeat of what happened on May 28 at Roland Garros, when physical discomfort contributed to his surprising second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Before returning to London, Sinner underwent tests at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, with reassuring results.
Confidence in Sinner is also widespread among tennis insiders. American tennis legend John McEnroe put it bluntly: “In the men’s draw, there’s no doubt who the favorite is: Jannik Sinner. To sum it up, Sinner comes first, then everyone else.” Meanwhile, according to the weather forecast, temperatures are expected to return to levels closer to seasonal averages starting Monday, June 29—the opening day of the main draw—when Sinner will make his debut on Center Court no earlier than 2:30 p.m.
