The third Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon 2025, is set for the hottest opening day of the tournament, with temperatures expected to soar to record-breaking levels for the first time in 147 years.

Wimbledon will kick start on Monday, June 30, with players bracing for sweltering conditions at the outset of the grass-court Grand Slam in London. Players had their training session under intense heat, with many seen hydrating frequently. Many players used cooling aids like ice towels and vests to help manage core temperature, especially when conditions were predicted to exceed 30  degrees Celsius.

twitter

London has been hit by a heatwave over the last few years, which has led to rising summer temperatures and increasingly challenging conditions for outdoor events like Wimbledon.

The prestigious grass-court Grand Slam is expected to witness unprecedented humidity and heat on the opening day of the tournament, with players and organisers preparing to adapt to soaring temperatures that could impact match schedules and performances significantly

According to Reuters, the opening day of Wimbledon 2025, i.e, Monday, is expected to witness the temperature in the mid-30s after a hot weekend, with players, organizers, and ticket holders facing a challenging day. As per AccuWeather, the temperature in London is expected to be at 33 degrees Celsius during the day and afternoon.

The opening day of Wimbledon 2025 will start at 11 am local time, and the afternoon matches will start from 3:30 pm.

With the temperature expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius on the opening day of the grass-court Grand Slam, this will surpass the tournament’s previous hottest opener of 29.3 degrees Celsius, which was recorded in 2001. The experts warned that the opening day of Wimbledon 2025 could see the breaking tournament’s record of 35.7 degrees Celsius, which was set on July 1, 2015, day 3 of the championships.

However, the second day of Wimbledon 2025 is likely to remain hot, with the temperature expected to be in the mid 30 degrees Celsius. Once the third Grand Slam of the year moves into the second week, the temperature is expected to gradually ease, ranging between 23 and 27 degrees Celsius.

As the temperature is expected to hit an all-time high on the opening day of Wimbledon 2025, the All England Club has decided to introduce 10-minute cooling breaks for the players between sets, allowing them to recover, dehydrate, and manage their core body temperature in extreme conditions.

“Adverse weather is a key consideration in our planning for The Championships, and we are prepared for the predicted hot weather, with comprehensive plans in place for guests, players, staff and the BBGs," the All England Club said in a statement.

“The heat rule will apply to all singles events at the Qualifying and Main Draw for The Championships 2025. These are the Gentlemen’s Singles, Ladies’ Singles, Boys’ Singles, Girls’ Singles, Gentlemen’s Wheelchair Singles, Ladies’ Wheelchair Singles, and Quad Wheelchair Singles,” the statement added.

The ‘10-minute’ heat rule will be applied when the temperature crosses 30.1 degrees Celsius, and the players need to request a break for the rule to be implemented. The rule will come into effect after the second set for best-of-three matches, in the case of women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed, and the third set for best-of-five matches in the case of men’s singles.

However, the players are refrained from receiving coaching or medical treatment during the 10-minute cooling break, as it is solely intended for rest, hydration, and temperature regulation.

“The rule will apply after the second set for all best-of-three set matches, and after the third set for all best-of-five set matches. Players may leave the court during the break, but they may not receive coaching or medical treatment.” Championships referee Denise Parnell said in a statement released by the All England Club.

“The rule will apply after the second set for all best-of-three set matches, and after the third set for all best-of-five set matches. Players may leave the court during the break, but they may not receive coaching or medical treatment,” he added.

twitter

The opening day of Wimbledon 2025 is set to witness top players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys, and Elina Svitolina, kickstarting their campaign in the opening rounds of the tournament.