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ATP announce new rules over playing in extreme heat

The ATP will introduce a new extreme heat rule from the 2026 season which will allow players on the men's tour to take a 10-minute cooling break during best-of-three sets singles matches.

The rule is similar to what the WTA - which governs women's professional tennis - brought in more than 30 years ago to protect players in the heat.

At the Shanghai Masters in October, temperatures were as high as 34C and humidity at 80% in the daytime, and after world number 15 Holger Rune needed medical treatment during his third round match, the Dane asked an official: "Do you want a player to die on court?