Wimbledon finalist questions why tournament won’t close roof in heat

A Wimbledon finalist has questioned why the tennis tournament will not close its roof, after sweltering conditions left Centre Court spectators needing medical assistance.

The men’s singles semi-final on Friday between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz was stopped twice in less than five minutes because of crowd emergencies, amid temperatures of 32C on Centre Court.

Wimbledon’s Centre Court roof is kept open by tournament organisers except in the event of rain or darkness.

Asked whether the roof should be closed after multiple crowd incidents, women’s singles finalist Iga Swiatek said: “I think it’s not possible for the tournament because I think the tournament is supposed to be outdoor tournament.

“From what I saw and heard on different tournaments, they’re usually not willing to close the roof when it’s not raining, when it’s not a necessity.

“I’m not sure why. Maybe there are some rules or something.”

The Polish player added: “On some courts when you close the roof, there is no air-conditioning any way.

“So here, I think they need air-conditioning to make the grass less humid.”

During the second set on Friday between defending men’s singles champion Alcaraz and Fritz, play was briefly stopped after a fan sitting in the sun at the front of a stand needed medical attention.

Chair umpire Marijana Veljovic could be heard saying “we’re just going to check if someone’s OK”, as a ball boy ran over with water to help the spectator.

Less than five minutes later, play was once again stopped, with Ms Veljovic saying: “We’re going to have to pause immediately. There’s somebody unwell.”

The second spectator, who was sitting in the sun behind the umpire’s chair, was covered with umbrellas while they received attention.

Three fans