Wimbledon close to its hottest day ever as temperatures soar past 34C
It followed a scorching Monday that provisionally broke the record for the hottest opening day, with 29.7C logged at Kew Gardens.
Spectators in the famous Wimbledon queue came prepared – many bringing umbrellas, fans, and wine to cope with the conditions.
Some were spotted napping in the early-morning heat, while others used towels and hats to shield themselves from the sun.
Even straw hats sold out at the Wimbledon shop by early afternoon as fans scrambled for shade in the scorching heat
Anjon Saidy-Khan, 32, told the PA news agency: 'We saw the news – it looks set to be even hotter today so we needed to be prepared.
'If you saw a picture, you'd think it was pouring it down – every other person has a brolly.'
Centre Court hosted seven-time champion Novak Djokovic while world number two Coco Gauff was on Court One, both began their campaigns in sweltering sunshine.
Among the guests braving the heat in the Royal Box were Cate Blanchett, Rebel Wilson and Russell Crowe – the latter remaining suited and booted despite the weather.
Sarah Lancashire wore a white summer dress with a blazer over her shoulders, while Molly-Mae Hague arrived in a camel-coloured shirt dress.
On the court, Dan Evans booked his place in the second round with a straight-sets win over fellow Briton Jay Clarke, setting up a potential showdown with Djokovic.
But there were early exits for Heather Watson, Francesca Jones, Jodie Burrage, George Loffhagen and Johannus Monday, who was backed by around a dozen friends from his hometown of Cottingham, Yorkshire.
One told PA after the match: 'We're so proud of him – he's come here, and done amazingly and done Cottingham proud.'
Jack Draper advanced to the second round after Sebastian Baez retired injured midway through their third set on Court One with Draper two sets up.
Tuesday's action followed dramatic scenes on Monday when play was paused after a woman fainted in the stands during Carlos Alcaraz's match.
The defending champion rushed to help, handing her a bottle of water as medics arrived.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
38 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Wimbledon diary: Heatwave makes way for rain as Olivia Rodrigo visits Royal Box
Earlier in the week it felt unlikely that attendees would have cause to use an umbrella for anything other than shelter from the 30C-plus heat, but before play started on Wednesday all the methods used to avoid the sun were utilised again to stay out of the rain. The turf was covered and the rain cleared to allow play to begin just after 1pm on the outside courts, a delay on the intended 11am start time, but there were no hold-ups on Centre Court and Court One as play ran to time without the need to get under way with the roof closed. ***** Olivia Rodrigo, fresh from her triumphant headline slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, was present in the Royal Box as she extended her British sojourn to take in the sights at Wimbledon. Rodrigo wore Union Flag shorts during her festival performance and delivered a brief ode to M&S sweets, Colin the Caterpillar and British pub culture, after which she invited The Cure's Robert Smith on stage as a guest. She was joined in SW19 by her boyfriend, British actor Louis Partridge, and the pair were seen chatting to Olympic diver Tom Daley. Also present from the sporting world were golfer Tommy Fleetwood, former England manager Roy Hodgson and current England boss Thomas Tuchel. Dave Grohl, former Nirvana member and Foo Fighters founder, was also seen and so too was the American wrestler and actor John Cena. ***** Aryna Sabalenka's advice to Alexander Zverev after his emotional press conference following a first-round loss, during which he described feeling 'alone' and 'empty'. FOUND HER! And she was DELIGHTED! Get the pims in mum!!@JudyMurray @Wimbledon 🏏 ☀️ — The Other Murray Brother (@Duncan__Murray) July 2, 2025 Briton Dan Evans crosses paths with Novak Djokovic in the second round of the men's singles as the pair kick off the day four action on Centre Court. Wild card Evans, 35, has met the all-conquering Serb once before, with the two clashing at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters and the Briton emerging a shock victor. Djokovic, 38, is on a mission to add a record 25th grand slam title and has made it clear he feels this tournament is likely his best chance of doing so. Sunny changing to cloudy in the afternoon with highs of 25C, according to the Met Office.
Metro
41 minutes ago
- Metro
Emma Raducanu reacts to facing Wimbledon favourite after 'statement' win
Emma Raducanu expects a 'really difficult match' when she faces world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the next round of Wimbledon. The British number one booked her place in the third-round of her home Grand Slam with an impressive 6-3 6-3 victory over former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. Raducanu is yet to drop a set in the tournament after her straight-sets win over fellow Brit Mingge Xu in the first round. The award for beating Vondrousova on Centre Court is a daunting third-round clash against Sabalenka on Friday. Sabalenka is bidding to win her first Wimbledon title and fourth Grand Slam as the world number one and top seed. The 27-year-old has been the best player in the women's game over the past 24 months, having reached the final of the previous two Grand Slams in 2025. Raducanu says Sabalenka has been 'so dominant' on the women's tour but intends to focus on her own game as she prepares for the match. 'She is number one in the world right now, so dominant on the tour and has won literally everything so and it is going to be a really difficult match,' Raducanu said in her on-court interview. More Trending 'I'm just so happy with how I performed and all I can do is control my side of the court as best as possible. 'When you play an opponent like her you know you have to play well so I guess there is no pressure on me at all in the next round!' More to follow… MORE: Tim Henman warns Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner after Wimbledon record tumbles MORE: Wimbledon day 4 order of play: What time are Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper playing? MORE: Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach says only three players can win Wimbledon
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu swats aside 2023 champion to set up clash with world number one
Emma Raducanu will take on world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon after claiming an impressive victory over former champion Marketa Vondrousova. It will be a daunting task for the British number one but she can take great encouragement from her performance here, with Vondrousova not just the 2023 winner but also a player in hot form after beating Sabalenka and Madison Keys to win the warm-up title in Berlin. Raducanu had good memories from a second-round win against the same player here in her breakthrough run four years ago, and this proved just as comfortable, the 22-year-old easing to a 6-3 6-3 win. 'I think today I played really, really well,' said Raducanu. 'There were some points I have no idea how I turned around. 'I knew playing Marketa it was going to be an extremely difficult match. She's won this tournament and it's a huge, huge achievement. I'm so happy with how I focused and put my game on the court. 'I'm just so happy I get to play another match here. (Sabalenka) is number one in the world, so dominant, has won literally everything. I'm just so happy how I performed. I guess there's no pressure at all on me.' Vondrousova lost in the first round 12 months ago as defending champion but she was hampered by a shoulder problem, for which she subsequently underwent surgery. Pain in the same shoulder left the Czech wondering whether she would even make it back to SW19 this year but instead she arrived as a player all the big names would have been looking to avoid after her brilliant run in Berlin. That brought Vondrousova her first title at any level since her shock triumph here, while she could also take confidence from having beaten Raducanu in Abu Dhabi in February. The British number one strode out on to Centre Court for the first time since losing to another left-handed player, Lulu Sun, in the fourth round 12 months ago. She came through a potentially awkward first-round encounter against 17-year-old Mimi Xu on Monday in confident fashion and immediately set about trying to make her opponent uncomfortable. Raducanu mixed up her tactics, varying pace and angles, and drew first blood, drilling a backhand pass down the line to break for 4-2. She immediately dropped serve but Vondrousova threw in two double faults to give Raducanu a helping hand to a third break in succession, and this time the home favourite found the serving she needed to clinch the opening set. It was a tactically astute set from Raducanu, and she continued in the same vein in the second, breaking the Vondrousova serve again to lead 2-1. The Czech was left looking in her box in frustration at some of the patterns of play from Raducanu, who defended well but did not miss a chance to step in, especially on her backhand. The only disappointment was that the 22-year-old could not force a second break earlier but she held her serve impressively and clinched a fuss-free victory on her first match point when Vondrousova sent a backhand wide.
