Players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics.
Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees — far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week.
And the ball kids have felt the brunt of it as well.
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The first-round match between Andrey Rublev and Ignacio Buse was briefly halted when a ball girl began to stumble at the back of the court.
The chair umpire immediately climbed down from her post and rushed over to help the girl as a lineswoman also assisted, offering the her a chair to sit in.

The ball girl was helped off the court. Nine
The girl appeared to say she was not doing OK and was eventually assisted off the court. It was later reported that she is doing fine.
Besides making it uncomfortable for fans, players and ball kids alike, the sultry conditions have also created faster conditions on court — changing the pace of the game.
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“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,” four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek said after routing Aussie Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 in the first round on Tuesday.
Players have been putting bags of ice around their necks on changeovers to stay cool, while fans refreshed themselves under sprinklers.

Kasatkina feels the heat. dpa/picture alliance via Getty I
When workers water the clay courts between sets, they have taken to directing their hoses at spectators begging to be doused, too.
“I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros,” Russian-born Australian player Daria Kasatkina said after beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4. “Maybe one day. But we’re going to have it for the whole week.”
Kasatkina said the energy-sapping temperatures made for more up-and-down matches.
“You can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,” she said. “So this is a battle which you have to also win. … Whoever adapts better to today’s conditions gets it.”
Canadian player Gabriel Diallo said the heat was the main reason why he retired midway through his match against James Duckworth.
Both Rublev and Buse called for the trainer on separate occasions during the second set of their 3-hour, 39-minute match, which Rublev won in four sets.
Buse took a medical timeout and had salts and minerals added to his water bottle as a stethoscope was placed on his chest. Rublev received treatment a few games later.
The French Open is usually cool compared to the heat at the Australian Open and US Open.
Yet some players were embracing the hotter air.
“I’ve always preferred hot and lively conditions to chilly on a clay court, because I feel like I can bring a little bit more of my all-court tennis on this type of surface,” Alex de Minaur said after beating Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
“It’s easier to be a little bit more aggressive. The ball is jumping. I don’t necessarily have to use as much spin or heaviness, and I can let the conditions do the job for me. And it’s quite physical. I don’t mind the heat.”