"Today I have my period, it makes everything 25% harder" - Tennis journalist highlights challenges women face after Australian Open heat suspension

The first round of the 2023 Australian Open is currently underway on Day 2 of the tournament at Melbourne Park, but not before unexpected delays crept in.

The tournament’s Extreme Heat Policy, which takes the Heat Stress Scale into account to determine whether the conditions affect the players' ability to perform, forced officials to suspend outdoor matches.

Among those affected were British No. 2 Dan Evans, who had just taken a two-sets-to-one lead over Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis and his compatriot Andy Murray, who had a two-set lead over Matteo Berrettini.

In light of the situation, sports commentator Catherine Whitaker took to social media to highlight the challenges faced by players under such extreme conditions, particularly women.

Reminding fans that menstruating women face grueling weather conditions in addition to the aching and cramping that they already experience, Whitaker hoped they would be more understanding of how much more difficult it is for women to perform at the highest levels when compared to men.

"I struggle with stifling heat at the best of times, but today I have my period, and I reckon it makes everything 25% harder to deal with - aching, cramping, clumsiness etc. Probably worth bearing in mind when we watch women play tennis today," Whitaker tweeted.

The matches resumed on all courts at the Australian Open soon after, once the heat level was deemed to have come down to a tolerable degree in accordance with the Heat Stress Scale.

Matches at 2023 Australian Open suspended as the Heat Stress Scale rises to 5

Umpire calls to suspend play at the Australian Open 2023 due to extreme heat

The Heat Stress Scale takes into account the air temperature, the radiant heat of the sun, the humidity and the wind speed, which affect a player’s ability to disperse heat from their body. These factors are measured in real time across five different locations in the Melbourne Park precinct.

"The AO Heat Stress Scale has reached 5 and play will be suspended on the outside courts. This means play continues until the end of an even number of games or the completion of a tie break. No new matches will be called to court. Play on outdoor practice courts is also suspended," the Australian Open tweeted.

The Heat Stress Scale reaching 5 brings the tournament’s Extreme Heat Policy into play, suspending matches on all outdoor courts. Conditions will continually be reviewed to determine when play on outdoor courts can be resumed. Once that decision is made, players are given at least 30 minutes’ notice before play resumes.