Wimbledon diary: Anyone for aircon? Don't bank on finding any ice at SW19

The Guardian

5 hours ago

With temperatures on day two hitting a high of 34C, the sun belted down on the grounds with little respite. Organisers have put preventive measures in place to ensure safety with over 100 water stations and weather alerts on the big screens. But what happens when the heat does get to someone? Depending on the severity they are either helped to or carried to one of the first-aid centres where trained first aiders assess the situation with an ambulance on site for any emergencies.
Demographics at Wimbledon have skewed to older ticket holders, those more susceptible to heat exhaustion and fans have been forced to get creative. 'I am not buying anything,' said the 65-year-old George, who was spending his time inside the air-conditioned official Wimbledon shop with several others. 'I just can't bloody stand the heat. The grounds should have more shade. My mate went to get sunscreen from the pharmacy but sent me a WhatsApp saying he's going to loiter in there in front of the fan until he gets kicked out.'
An ice pack is like gold dust this year and while players have been granted the luxury of using them to combat heat during breaks in their matches (fair enough), fans and staff haven't been as lucky. But that hasn't stopped one plucky group.
'I found [the ice pack] and grabbed it immediately. We've been sharing it for the past hour. We'll probably use it until it fully melts,' said one ballgirl. Her fellow ballkids lauded her as a 'hero' for her efforts.
'It has honestly been a life-saver,' said another. 'I've been doing this for three years. It has never ever been this hot. But the club has done a lot to ensure our safety.'
Wimbledon is operating what they call a Beau Geste protocol for the ballkids in French Foreign Legion-style caps with neck coverings, similar to the scarves used by the military unit in the novel and film Beau Geste, to protect them from the sun. 'Maybe if the water is cold once the ice melts we can drink it after,' said one ballboy nearby. His idea was not met well by his peers. 'You want to drink sweaty water?!'
With men's matches going the five-set distance in thrilling ways, including that French Open final, there have been calls by fans to extend the service to the women's game, a topic that has come up again with Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen falling in the first round. But the two are among several players who do not see the need for a change.
'It's harder to win two out of three than it is to win three out of five,' said Pegula after her straight-sets loss to the Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. 'Not physically, obviously, but it always is going to cater to the better player in the long run if you're playing three out of five. For me it's too long.'
Zheng shared the same sentiment, saying she should not need that long to win matches. 'On grass, you don't get too many chances to come back. [Playing five sets] is never going to happen.'
Wimbledon may be a quintessential part of British culture and the Britons have impressed, with seven already through to the second round. But a group of fans are convinced an American pair will lift the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy and Venus Rosewater Dish this year. 'We're here for Coco [Gauff], [Taylor] Fritz, [Ben] Shelton, [Frances] Tiafoe, [Madison] Keys, Tommy boy [Paul],' said Waylan, who runs a tennis club in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has travelled with 25 fellow fans, all donning American flag T-shirts. 'So much talk about the Brits and I get it. But they can't handle the heat. Literally and figuratively. The Americans have played in all sorts of temperatures. And are better players.'
Paul, though, isn't so sure, despite beating Briton's Johannus Monday in straight sets. 'We were joking around about the heat, saying it is an advantage to me because I came from Florida two weeks ago. But the heat last night was an advantage for all the Brits, because they're used to sleeping with no AC, and I am not.' The No 13 seed added the portable units in his room were not doing the job.