Conditions at the
US Open has been a source of great debate with names such as Yoshihito Nishioka, Victoria Azarenka and
Arthur Rinderknech all suffering and the Frenchman himself opened up that he drank 15 litres of water in his match.
Rinderknech was beset by the scorching conditions in New York. Something which has caused real issues for many players with temperatures reaching around 35 degrees at times. He lost in five sets and said it was difficult to perform at his best due to the crippling heat.
He echoed the view also of Daniil Medvedev that someone is going to die and that he compared it to being a dog on the field running around without water. Very much an interesting analogy but one that suits in this regard.
"We have a pipe that brings fresh air, it feels great, but it’s not enough," said Rinderknech. "There was an ice pack in the tub next to it, as well as an ice towel that I put around my neck every time I changed sides.
"I drank, I think, 15 one-litre bottles, which means I drank 15 litres. I ate everything I could, but it’s so hard to eat in this heat. It was extreme."
"I am waiting for the day when an accident will happen," he added. "We are like dogs on the field. Not a single player backs down, we do not think, we rush, it is 4000 degrees, it is dangerous.
"This year, there are slower balls, so the rallies are longer and the matches are longer, and the breaks between plays are getting shorter and shorter. Daniil Medvedev once said that one day someone will die on the field. Whether he dies or not, I do not know, but something will happen.
"I would like to admit that the judge was very understanding towards us. He allowed us to have another break. Judges are not always so lenient. I accepted a voluntary warning because I could not take it anymore."The humidity complicates the situation. You are very wet. I changed shoes three times and probably used 12 or 13 T-shirts."