Australian Open 2023's scorching heat brings Maria Sharapova's "inhumane" 2007 match back into conversation

Scorching heat on Day 2 of the 2023 Australian Open brought back into conversation Maria Sharapova’s taxing win against Camille Pin in a first-round match that was played under inhumane conditions at the 2007 tournament. The 2014 mishandling of the event also appeared among the discussions.

The tournament in Melbourne, which experiences summer in January, has been notorious for its extreme heat conditions throughout the years.

After the 2023 incident, former British tennis player Laura Robson brought Maria Sharapova's 2007 match back to light.

"Real ones remember this match and 2014 AO 'chasing antelope' heat," she mentioned.

In 2007, during Maria Sharapova’s first-round match win against Frenchwoman Camille Pin, the temperature at the Australian Open shot past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. After a hard-earned 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 victory, Maria Sharapova had stated that it was one of the toughest matches she had played at Melbourne Park.

The Russian tennis player further criticized the extreme condition and called it “inhumane.”

"It was one of the toughest matches I've played here," said Sharapova, "It's definitely not my best tennis. It's inhumanely possible to play three hours in that kind of heat.

"I was so delusional I couldn't think. It’s hard to explain, because as much as you want to think about what you want do to win a point, you just can’t," Maria Sharapova continued, "I don't think our bodies were made to do that. We probably played an hour and a half, two hours where in the conditions where the roof should have been closed."

The Extreme Heat Policy that existed at the time was implemented midway through the match, and according to the rules of the time, the match had to be completed outdoors despite the circumstances.

Similarly, in 2014, temperatures exceeded 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with many players falling ill, vomiting and blacking out during their clashes, as the organizers refused to impose the Extreme Heat Policy on time.

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Heat Stress Scale put in place at 2023 Australian Open after mishandling of 2014 tournament and 2007 Maria Sharapova match

Former World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit walks off the court as extreme heat at 2023 event suspends play

On Day 2 of the 2023 Australian Open, numerous matches played on courts with no roof were suspended as the Heat Stress Scale reached 5. The scale was first launched in 2019, after years of criticism - mainly during the heatwaves of 2006, 2007 and 2014.

The new heat stress scale is said to factor in air temperature, humidity, radiant heat and wind speed. With readings ranging from one to five on the scale, various specific recommendations are associated with each numerical rise.