Follow us on Google Discover The heat in China has caused a lot of issues for players at tournaments in both Wuhan and Shanghai.
This includes 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who had his heart rate checked during his latest match at the Shanghai Masters.
Alex de Minaur has also spoken about the ‘rare’ conditions in Shanghai, with very hot and humid temperatures disrupting play.
Another ATP player was struggling to breathe in Shanghai, and there has also been major disruptions at the WTA tournament in Wuhan.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesKarolina Muchova retires from her match at the Wuhan Open after struggling with heat
Former Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova has dealt with many different injury struggles in recent years, but that did not appear to be the case in Wuhan.
After dropping over 500 ranking points from the China Open last week, where Muchova was beaten by eventual champion Amanda Anisimova, she was able to return to winning ways in Wuhan.
However, her first round match at the Wuhan Open was far from straightforward, but Muchova managed to come from a set down against Marta Kostyuk, despite clearly struggling with the hot and humid conditions.
Muchova was looking to do the same in her subsequent match against Magdalena Frech, but took a medical timeout in the second set and had her vitals checked by a doctor.
Despite continuing after this timeout, Muchova lost the next two games and then decided that she could no longer keep playing, handing the win to Frech.
Retirements at the Wuhan Open and Shanghai Masters this week
Muchova is definitely not the only player to retire this week, with there currently a total of 11 retirements across the tournaments in Shanghai and Wuhan.
Six of these retirements have been related to heat, including world number two Jannik Sinner retiring after cramping at the Shanghai Masters.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu also retired from her match, citing poor visibility when being attended by a doctor.
Player who has retired this week Reason for retirementYibing WuLeft thigh injuryTerence AtmaneHeat related illnessHamad MedjedovicHeat/BlistersCasper RuudWrist injuryDavid GoffinUnknown injuryTomas MachacRight knee injuryJannik SinnerCramping (Heat related)Dayana YastremskaNeck injuryEmma RaducanuIllness (Poor visibility)Jelena OstapenkoIllness (Confirmed heat stroke)Karolina MuchovaHeat related illness
The heat is a very specific issue related to the tournaments in China, where the temperatures are in the mid-30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of the day, with the high humidity only adding to the challenging conditions.
However, there is also the added element of the time of the season, with players including Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz being outspoken against the tennis calendar in recent weeks.