A player's going to die': Oppressive US Open heat underlines climate crisis repercussions on sport

On Wednesday, Daniil Medvedev sat still with an icewrapped towel on his head, looking like anything but a tennis player who had just entered the US Open semi-finals after a straight-sets quarter-final victory.

- Rutvick Mehta

{ AFTER HOTTEST-EVER SUMMER }

Minutes earlier, during the third set, an exasperated Medvedev walked across to fetch his towel between points, looked straight into the court-side camera and said, “One player (is) gonna die, and they’re gonna see.”

Extreme as his words may have been, it was matched by the weather at tennis’ season-ending Grand Slam.

Hours after Medvedev’s remark (and victory), the Copernicus Climate Change Service released data that showed that August 2023 was the hottest on record, just like July and June before it, making this summer the world’s hottest ever.

September may continue the trend.

It’s so hot and humid in New York that players have reached boiling point at the US Open. Matches in its second week, meant to be a show of tennis skills, have turned into a test of heat tolerance and physical endurance.