French Open match halted as umpire rushes to help struggling ball girl | Tennis | Sport

An umpire rushed to assist a struggling ball girl at the French Open. During the first-round clash between Ignacio Buse and Andrey Rublev, weather conditions proved another challenge, with temperatures around 32 degrees, highlighting just how gruelling conditions were for those at Roland Garros.

It became evident that the sweltering heat was affecting those on court, even those not competing, as demonstrated by an incident involving a ball girl. As Buse and Rublev competed fought beneath the blazing sun, the latter threw a ball towards the ball girl, though she appeared to stumble while attempting to retrieve it.

Another member of staff approached the girl to check whether she could continue.

Despite the incident unfolding on the opposite side of the court, the umpire left her chair and ran over to help the ball girl, halting play. She then accompanied the girl off court as she received medical attention after nearly fainting due to the extreme heat.

While the moment raised concerns amid the scorching conditions, HBO Max confirmed the girl is “doing fine.” Players had not encountered temperatures of this magnitude since the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, held during July and August.

Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek and her fellow competitors have been forced to adapt their game to contend with the sweltering conditions.

“It is much different. Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics, but the balls were different, so I wouldn’t treat it as the same tournament,” Swiatek said.

Australian star Daria Kasatkina, who was born in Russia, struggled to recall a time when the weather had played such a significant role during the tournament.

“You can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,” she said, referring to how the heat can sap players’ energy even during breaks. “So this is a battle which you have to also win. … Whoever adapts better to today’s conditions gets it.”

The scorching temperatures are expected to persist throughout the opening round, with players resorting to ice bags on their necks to keep cool.

American star Alex Michelson believes the heat can work in his favour and has wholeheartedly embraced the blistering climate.

“Generally, we’re big serve, big forehand, big ground game, and like to play offence. When it’s super-hot, the ball is moving through the air very fast. … I was so happy when I saw the forecast,” he said.