Wuhan Open Suspended as Sweltering Heat Disrupts Opening Day
The inaugural day of the Wuhan Open has been thrown into chaos as punishing heat and humidity forced organisers to halt play on all outdoor courts.
The WTA 1000 tournament, already under the spotlight for extreme weather in China, saw its first casualty on Monday with Dayana Yastremska retiring mid-match.
Temperatures soared to 32°C, with humidity levels expected to climb to a staggering 98 per cent later in the evening. Under these oppressive conditions, only the centre court, protected by a closed roof, remains operational.
Play in WUHAN suspended as brutal conditions wreak havoc!
32 degrees and 98% Humidity!
Does the Asian swing get a real chance? – it’s either raining like crazy or unbearably hot!#tennisbetting #tennistour #wtatennis pic.twitter.com/JnGYOJmvEB
— betting analyst (@bettinganalystt) October 6, 2025
“I can tell you that they’ve shut the roof in Wuhan because of the heat, and there’s no play on the outside courts because of the heat,” said Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend.
Yastremska struggled to cope with the sweltering atmosphere during her opening clash with Laura Siegemund.
The Ukrainian sought treatment for a shoulder injury but ultimately decided to withdraw, leaving Siegemund leading 7-5, 4-6, 4-1.
A brief discussion between the players highlighted the brutal impact of the humidity on performance.
Elsewhere on the outdoor courts, a handful of matches concluded before suspension. Marie Bouzkova and Hailey Baptiste emerged victorious, while Elise Mertens and Polina Kudermetova had to pause after Mertens narrowly won the first set 7-6(5).
The WTA’s heat rule allows players a 10-minute break before the final set, and in extreme cases, action can be halted entirely if the heat stress index reaches critical levels.
Under the safer conditions of the encamped centre court, Katerina Siniakova made captions by defeating Diana Shnaider 6- 4, 6- 4.
Siniakova, the world No. 1 in doubles, had navigated through qualifying to reach the main singles draw. Shnaider, the No. 15 seed, compactly entered treatment for a leg problem but continued her match.
Numerous other players, including No. 10 seed Clara Tauson and wildcard Yue Yuan, remain in limbo, staying to see if they will be able to complete their matches later on Monday.
British No. 1 Emma Raducanu is slated to make her Wuhan Open debut against Ann Li on Tuesday, but organisers face a tricky task in cataloging matches if the heat persists.
The Wuhan Open, already notorious for punishing conditions, is highlighting once again the extreme demands placed on top players in China’s summer tournaments.
