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Wuhan Open Suspended Amid Brutal Conditions Echoing Shanghai Masters

Originally posted on EssentiallySports
By Krushna Prasad Pattnaik | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 6:55 AM ET

China is hot, not set ablaze by the battle of rackets but by the sun. Walkovers and medical timeouts had marred what should have been marquee battles across the ATP and WTA in China. The outcry over the heat and humidity has been resounding from players like Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner at the Shanghai Masters 1000. Looks like the heat finally caught up with the intense on-court exchange between Elise Mertens and Polina Kudermetova.

Mertens and Kudermetova had kept the fans glued to their seats with their first set ending 7-6 in favor of Mertens. But then, the Wuhan Open organizers decided to suspend play until 3:30 PM local time in the best interests of the players and the spectators. However, the battle at the Centre Court continued with the roof closed, as per the tweet by the handle edgeAI. And the outcome? Well, it was simply a repetition of the first set, minus the tiebreaker. Mertens claimed the win with a score of 6-3 in the second set and proceeded to the next round.

While WTA tackled the heat with a temporary suspension of the gameplay, the Shanghai Masters 1000 witnessed the withdrawal of athletes with a high possibility of winning. Sinner retired because of the debilitating cramps and succumbed to the oppressive heat and humidity. And we all saw how Djokovic was managing it. But all of this brings out only one question.

No play before 3:30pm (30 minutes from now) local time now at the Wuhan WTA 1000.

Play was suspended due to extreme heat.

Elise Mertens vs Polina Kudermetova 7-6

Centre court will continue, roof closed there. https://t.co/qTfdC9hvEU pic.twitter.com/oq12MLytii

— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) October 6, 2025

Will the players return to compete in China in the next season? Or will the weather keep them away? Let’s bring our focus to Djokovic and see if he’d return.

Novak Djokovic opens up on the terrible climate during the Shanghai Masters

“I’m proud to have passed this test.” These were the words that Novak Djokovic uttered after beating Yannick Hanfmann with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 at the round of 32 of the 2025 Shanghai Masters. After losing the final game against Jannik Sinner in 2024, Djokovic certainly needs to push forth and redeem himself in China. However, the climatic conditions seemed to take a heavy toll on the Serbian, shrouding him in a doubtful vibe.

Talking about the harsh climatic conditions, Djokovic stated, “This is the same for everyone, but it’s brutal when you have 80% humidity day after day, especially for those who play in the morning, where the sun makes everything worse.” He claimed that biologically, it’s pretty difficult for him to deal with the heat storm. Yet, he went against Hanfmann for about three hours and defeated him in the third set. He stated, “I couldn’t ask for more, having played almost three hours in front of this crowd that was screaming my name at 38 years old in the third round of an M1000. This is like a dream for me.”

Even though the harsh climate posed as a terrible obstacle, the fans’ love for the Serbian ignited nothing but the desire to return next year. However, the same can’t be said for many others. The heat and humidity in October are a bit too much to endure for those who are not accustomed to it. But do let us know if you think WTA officials did the right thing by stopping the match in the afternoon.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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