The moment Novak Djokovic’s body gave out in ‘brutal’ heat

The intense heat and humidity at the Shanghai Masters have caused major problems for many tennis players, with conditions being described as “brutal.” Even top players have struggled, leading to several medical incidents and retirements. On Tuesday, Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, collapsed on the court after a long rally against Jaume Munar. He lay sprawled on his back for several seconds before a trainer helped him up. He was able to recover and win the match, though he later wrote that it was a “Tough day at the office. Very challenging physically.”

Djokovic’s struggle with the conditions was apparent throughout the match, which lasted two hours and 41 minutes in temperatures near 30 degrees Celsius with high humidity. He had to take a medical timeout for a leg injury in the first set, and medics had to check his vital signs at one point. This wasn’t the first time he struggled; earlier in the tournament, he had vomited during his match against Yannick Hanfmann. The Serbian star’s victory, however, made him the oldest man to reach the last eight at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

The tournament has seen many other players suffer due to the weather. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, whose title defense ended, had to retire on Sunday because of severe cramps, struggling even to walk. Another player, Holger Rune, was overheard asking an official during a medical timeout if players were expected to “die on court.” In the women’s tournament, Emma Raducanu also retired from her Wuhan Open match due to exhaustion and had her blood pressure checked.

A long list of other players, including Casper Ruud, Tomas Machac, David Goffin, and several others, have also retired mid-match in the early rounds due to heat-related illness or injury. The number of incidents has once again highlighted the need for a formal rule to protect players. This issue had also come up previously in August in Cincinnati when a player collapsed on the court.

Currently, decisions to stop play due to extreme heat are made by an onsite ATP supervisor in consultation with medical teams. However, the governing body of men’s tennis, the ATP, has stated that it is open to making a change. The ATP said they are “actively reviewing” the situation and are considering an “official heat policy” in consultation with players, tournaments, and medical experts, stressing that player safety is their main priority. Many other major sports, including the Grand Slams and the women’s WTA tour, already have formal rules in place for dealing with extreme weather.