By Louise Belcourt
In soaring hot conditions on Rod Laver Arena, former world number 1 Novak Djokovic took to the court in the middle of the day at the Australian Open for his 2nd round clash with in-form Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Novak’s sluggish and in his words “nervous” start contributed to uncharacteristic unforced errors and double faults allowing Monfils to rack up 2 breaks of serve to lead 3-0. Then with Monfils attempting to be more aggressive his error rate increased letting Djokovic break back, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Frenchman winning the 1st set 6-4.
Controversially, the roof at Rod Laver arena remained opened – despite the fact the temperature on court reached a brutal 156 degrees (69C)! Now one would think the Extreme Heat policy would come into effect, and they would be more civil to the players, officials and spectators looking forward to this much anticipated match. But no, the tournament director said it had not reach the heat limit so the roof would remain open, and all outside courts would continue.
Win or loss aside, Novak was vocal on his thoughts about this. “There are certain days where you just have, as a tournament supervisor, recognised that you might need to give players a few extra hours until it (temperature) comes down,” the Serbian revealed post-match with a strong agitation in his voice.
Now one cannot comprehend how players could run around in those conditions (just walking to the venue was hard enough for me!). In fact Monfils level dipped noticeably and he lost the last 3 sets 6-3 6-1 6-3. Not surprisingly, Monfils confessed in his press conference his on-court horror. “I get super dizzy. I think I have a small heat stroke for 40 minutes. Couldn’t feel like fresh. I try to cool down. But even with the ice towel, the water, I think my body was super warm… I was dying on the court for 40 minutes.”
Monfils provided some advice to other players struggling in the torturous conditions “I think sometime, yeah, we put our body at risk. Just be smart. If you have to give up, you know, it’s not a shame.”
After the match one has to wonder would the 6 time Australian Open champion still be alive in the tournament had the roof been closed? The athletic Monfils was coming off a strong start to the year after winning Doha. Djokovic was in his first tournament back after 6 months out with a right elbow injury. Djokovic serve was off, and he didn’t seem as accurate and sharp as the champion we all knew. But in the end, with Monfils struggling in heatwave conditions, Djokovic played himself into some good form for the rest of the grand slam.
The question still remains. Are officials more interested in the business of tennis, pleasing sponsors, television networks, and completing matches on time rather than the health of these athletes? Interestingly Monfils took aim by saying “I played two set half a breath, for nothing, just to please the official. So at the end, you know, it’s a bit risky.”
Djokovic summed it up nicely “Our sport has become an industry, like most of the other global sports. It’s more business than a sport.”
He continued, “What is most important for us is our health and what happens after career, after you’re 30, 35. You know, there are many players that are struggling. They can’t physically walk, run, jog, whatever. I mean, they’re struggling some way or another, health-wise or physiologically, whatever.”
So what has the sport of tennis become? Merely about profits? Sponsors? Air time?
Although the weather did not impact all players evenly. The much world-wide loved Federer, was one of many players to request a night match, with the tournament organisers only too keen to oblige. Federer breezed through is cool night match on Rod Laver arena to arrive fresh in the 3rd round with a 6-3 6-4 6-3 win over German Jan-Lennard Struff. Whilst the rest of his peers had to endure some of the worst conditions of any grand slam.
Michael in UK · January 21, 2018 at 5:37 am
Excellent piece on the most important issue in this tournament, thank you Louise.
Scoop Malinowski · January 21, 2018 at 6:53 pm
Curious words by Djokovic calling tennis a business more so than a sport. That could have been a very very loaded sentence which implies a lot of different things. I think Monfils should have worn a white hat because black hair draws heat. Kumkum was up 5-4 in the third vs Martic then suddenly hit a wall and looked dead tired and started missing. She wore no hat the whole match and her black hair surely drew even more heat. Martic cruised from 5-5 and won 7-5.