'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina, Sloane Stephens and several other tennis players have reacted to the extreme temperatures they are currently practicing in ahead of the Brisbane International, with the mercury soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
Several ATP and WTA players have landed in Brisbane in the middle of the Australian summer, to commence their 2024 campaigns at the 250 and 500 events, respectively. The tournament's main draw is scheduled from December 31–January 7, whereas the qualifiers are already underway. Meanwhile, those who have earned a direct entry to the main draw have started their on-court preparations.
On Friday, December 29, the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina and Sloane Stephens took the practice court during the day session. They shared glimpses of their training while also highlighting that they were grappling with extreme heat.
Trending
Sabalenka, the top seed at the WTA 500 Brisbane International, revealed the temperature during her practice to be 37 degrees Celsius (approximately 99 Fahrenheit). 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and World No. 27 Anastasia Potapova, too, accorded with the World No. 2.
Meanwhile, for former World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina, former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, and 2022 French Open semifinalist Martina Trevisan, the mercury nudged 38 degrees Celsius (over 100 Fahrenheit).
Kasatkina also showed her sunburned face to her fans on social media.
It is worth noting that the Australian Bureau of Meteorology had issued a ‘Severe Heatwave Warning’ for Brisbane on December 27, stating that the extreme conditions were expected to last through December 29.
This isn’t the first time that the tennis players have had to bear the brunt of the summer Down Under. With the entire Australian swing taking place in late December and across January, there have been numerous instances annually, where the play has been halted or the competitors have retired due to fatigue.
Just this year at the 2023 Australian Open, the Extreme Heat Policy was put in place and several matches were suspended when the temperature crossed the tournament’s Heat Stress Scale threshold of 5.0.
Apart from Aryna Sabalenka, Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka to take center stage at Brisbane International 2024
While World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is the favorite to win the women's 2024 Brisbane International on paper, she might face a few obstacles during her campaign.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who was on maternity leave in 2023, has chosen the event as her site of return. The wildcard entrant thus stands a chance at giving the reigning Australian champion a run for her money.
On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal is similarly set to commence his comeback journey at the Brisbane International after spending an entire year on the sidelines due to a hip injury. The Spaniard has been awarded a wild card as well but will face tough competition from the likes of Holger Rune, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray.
