Things are getting heated up at the 2023 US Open. Well, quite literally! New York has seen temperatures rise ever since the start of the US Open. Additionally, the humidity level has gone over the roof which has made matters worse. Players like Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev have found the going to be tough in this hot and humid climate.
As conditions worsened, American tennis legend, John McEnroe criticized the tournament’s organizers for not considering player’s well-being. Let’s look into what he said.
John McEnroe comes back hard on US Open organizers
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The 64-year-old has joined ESPN to be one of the pundits for the US Open. During one of the segments, he talked about the grueling schedule and how it has taken a toll on players in unfavorable climatic conditions.
Coming hard on the organizes, McEnroe said, “These poor guys today… they looked like they’re going to fall over. It’s not humane in a way. I’m sorry. Please, USTA, in the future, I think seriously we should close the roof.”
There has been a growing debate about whether the roof should be used during the afternoon sessions. Going by the tournament’s rules, the roof doesn’t close even if temperatures soar. However, with growing criticism around it, the rule was tweaked to allow partial closure of the roof. Further, the afternoon schedule has also created quite a stir. Recently, McEnroe questioned Novak Djokovic’s match scheduling.
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McEnroe wasn’t happy with Djokovic’s match schedule
Ahead of the Serb’s quarterfinal match, McEnroe was surprised to see Djokovic getting the afternoon slot for his match. Reacting to it, McEnroe said, “Novak (Djokovic) will play in the afternoon, the hottest day of the tournament. (mid-90s F) Will they close the roof (again) tomorrow?”
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However, it caused little worry to the former World Number 1 as Djokovic hardly broke any sweat to overcome the challenge of local favorite, Taylor Fritz. In the semifinals, Djokovic will face another American, Ben Shelton. The latter has caused a massive surprise with his impressive performance. Can he upset Djokovic? Let us know your views in the comments below.