Australian Open 2026: How Jannik Sinner benefited from 'heat rule'
What's the story
Jannik Sinner's quest for his first Australian Open title was nearly cut short by the sweltering Melbourne heat, which neared 40°C. However, the rising temperatures proved to be his ally in a challenging third-round match against American world number 85 Eliot Spizzirri. The Grand Slam tournament's heat rule was invoked, allowing Sinner to come off court and receive treatment under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena.
Match details
Sinner's victory amid extreme heat
Despite the extreme conditions, Sinner managed to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. He admitted that he was fortunate with the heat rule as it played a major role in his victory. The Australian Open's heat stress scale reached five during their match, which allowed Sinner to take a break for treatment and ultimately turn the tide in his favor after an eight-minute delay.
Scale significance
Heat stress scale and its impact on matches
The Australian Open's heat stress scale considers four factors: radiant heat, air temperature in the shade, relative humidity, and wind speed. When Sinner and Spizzirri took to the court at around 12:30pm local time, chair umpire Fergus Murphy reminded them about protocols that could be enforced. At 1:30pm the scale read 3.6 but by 2:30pm it had reached five—just after Sinner lost his serve.
Safety protocols
Australian Open's measures against extreme heat
To combat the extreme heat, tournament organizers advanced Saturday's play by 30 minutes. They also put several facilities in place for fans to cool down, including 46 water bubblers/refill stations, 56 water misting fans and two high-powered typhoon misters. Hydration stations were set up at every entrance with staff offering water in queues and additional shade coverage of 9,000sqm provided throughout the site.
Sinner
Sinner is 90-20 at Grand Slams
Sinner has now won 17 successive matches at the Australian Open. The Italian powerhouse won the AO in 2024 and 2025. He is seeking a third successive honor. He is now 25-4 at AO. Overall at Grand Slams, Sinner has raced to a 90-20 win-loss record. Four-time Grand Slam winner, Sinner, will take on Luciano Darderi next in the fourth round here in Melbourne.
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Sinner attains this AO feat
As mentioned, Sinner claimed a 17th consecutive men's singles match win at the Australian Open. As per Opta, he became the youngest player to achieve the feat since Jim Courier in 1994.