London, Dec. 16 -- The ATP will introduce a new extreme heat rule from the 2026 season which will allow players on the men's tour to take a 10-minute cooling break during best-of-three sets singles matches.
The rule is similar to what the WTA - which governs women's professional tennis - brought in more than 30 years ago to protect players in the heat, according to BBC sport.
At the Shanghai Masters in October, temperatures were as high as 34C and humidity at 80% in the daytime, and after world number 15 Holger Rune needed medical treatment during his third round match, the Dane asked an official: "Do you want a player to die on court?"In a statement, the ATP said the policy was for "strengthening protections for players competing in extr...