What to know about the heat policy at the Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — With extreme temperatures hitting Melbourne Park on Tuesday, the Australian Open was again set to institute the tournament's Extreme Heat Protocol, which works on a scale based on environmental conditions including the actual temperature.

Temperatures were forecast to reach 40 Celsius, or 104 Fahrenheit.

Here’s what to know about the Australian Open’s Extreme Heat Protocol:

The Australian Open introduced the Heat Stress Scale in 2019, a measure from 1 to 5 that takes into account four climate factors: air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed.

It was developed to provide consistency for all players and minimize the risk of heat-related illness.

It sets thresholds for cooling interventions. In the event of extreme heat, the tournament referee has the authority to suspend play or order extra cooling breaks.

Play is automatically suspended when the index hits 5 in women’s and men’s singles.

The referee may suspend the calling of any upcoming matches on outdoor courts. And if matches on the outdoor courts have been suspended, the referee may make the decision to close the roof — or to keep the roof closed — for any upcoming matches on the arena courts.

The referee will make the decision as to when to call for the resumption of play, and each player must be given at least a half-hour of notice prior to the resumption of play.

When the index reaches 4, organizers can impose an extra 10-minute break between the second and third sets in women’s singles matches and between the third and fourth sets in men’s singles.

In an arena stadium, if the roof is closed before the end of the first set in a women’s singles match or before the end of the second set in a men’s singles match, there will be no extra cooling breaks.

On Tuesday, the roof on Rod Laver Arena was open for the first match of the day when Aryna Sabalenka beat Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0 but was closed for the following men’s quarterfinal between Alexander Zverev and American Learner Tien.

Organizers encouraged spectators to wear hats, apply sunscreen and drink water, make use of shade and other cooling areas on site and allow extra time for arrival.

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