Follow us on Google Discover The Wuhan Open is now well underway, but the tournament hasn’t gone as well as organisers would have hoped.
Emma Raducanu retired during her opener at the Wuhan Open, where soaring temperatures and extreme humidity have been wreaking havoc.
Iga Swiatek asked for sensible scheduling of the matches amid the conditions, with the Pole going on to lose in the quarterfinals.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka remains in the draw, along with Jasmine Paolini, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
But the challenging conditions have overshadowed the action on the court, with Magdalena Frech now speaking out following her exit from the WTA 1000 event.
Photo by Hermann Chu/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty ImagesWTA champion hits out at Wuhan Open organisers after her exit
One-time WTA champion Frech fell in the round of 16 to Laura Siegemund, and took to social media shortly after to vent her frustration with tournament organisers.
She wrote on X: “In response to the avalanche of negative ratings and comments after the last game, I would like to inform you that sometimes I regret it, but I am not a machine.
READ MORE: Wuhan Open 2025: Players, schedule, how to watch, and prize money on offer
“Although I have the impression that the organisers treat us like this when setting a game plan. Playing 3 days in a row from 13-16, in extreme conditions, unfortunately it affected my health, which I always put first.
“Playing at 36 degrees, with high smog, heated concrete and extreme humidity is acceptable if it does not happen every day. Unfortunately, the accumulation of this effort has consequences.
“I’ve never felt anything like yesterday, despite a few years spent on the tour. Overpowering lack of energy and constant struggle of negative thoughts that tried to stop my body from another effort.
“Hitting the ball into the court was a great challenge. It’s no longer a tennis match, it’s a fight for survival! To the fans, thank you for your support, your presence is of great importance.”
Tennis clearly needs to make a change as Wuhan Open highlights major issue
World number 53 Frech clearly fought her hardest against Siegemund, but the Pole was eventually beaten 4-6, 6-7(2-7) by the German.
She incidentally reached that stage after Karolina Muchova retired from their match at the Wuhan Open, with the 12th seed unable to continue in the challenging conditions.
Retirements and indeed tournament withdrawals have been familiar themes of late, across both the WTA and ATP tours.
Whether or not the powers that be decide to take action remains to be seen, but change is clearly needed sooner rather than later.
Denmark’s Holger Rune is among many players complaining about brutal heat and humidity in Shanghai and Wuhan, with temps hitting 34°C and 80% humidity 🌡️
Calls are growing for clearer ATP and WTA heat rules.
How hot is too hot to play? 🎾😓 pic.twitter.com/XFGD1ZOdQG
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) October 8, 2025
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Many players have already decided to take matters into their own hands, with Daria Kasatkina ending her season early after reaching “breaking point”.
And she certainly isn’t the only one to have made that decision, which like the retirements and withdrawals is not a good look for tennis.