“Roof over your head” is a blessing for many. But for Ben Shelton, this simple necessity has become a luxury in the recent past. Shelton’s tryst with the weather gods began at the Grass swing. Which further strengthened during Cincinnati, and now it seems to follow him at the US Open. However, not in the form of rain, but heat. And he is not alone while facing the burn of the harsh weather forecast. Emma Navarro, and Grigor Dimitrov, among other tennis stars, are anticipated to face the sunny blessings.

Back at the Wimbledon Championships, Shelton received the blessings of weather gods in torrential rains, which led to the re-scheduling of matches, and unfavorable outcomes, an R4 exit. After the Grass swing, as the tennis scene shifted to the Northern American continent, courts did change, but for Shelton, the weather did not.

At Cincinnati, the rain predictions delayed the morning schedule by almost 2 hours, if not more. And as per Coco Gauff’s coach, Brad Gilbert’s August 28 update, NYC’s temperature is forecasted to range from as low as 72°F to as high as 95°F. Ain’t this too much heat for the competitive blood? It sure is, and the organizers did take notes.

In September 2023, the temperature soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), and humidity levels exceeded 50%, making it the hottest day of the Grand Slam tournament. This, in turn, prompted tournament organizers to implement a new policy: partially closing the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof in severe conditions “in the best interest of fans and players.” The decision to adjust the roof policy was made during Coco Gauff’s victory over Jelena Ostapenko, when conditions surpassed the threshold for player protection.

According to an Associated Press analysis, the average high temperatures experienced during the U.S. Open and other major tennis tournaments have steadily risen in recent decades, reflecting the escalating impact of climate change. These record-breaking heat waves can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses. The recent forecast predicts even hotter temperatures in the coming days.

But what about the players who play on courts without roofs? The organizers have scheduled some players to play at night, under the stars. However, Shelton is scheduled at Grandstand, Dimitrov and Navarro are all set to play on Court No.17. and both these stadiums don’t have a roof. How will it fare for these players? Will it be a repeat of Wimbledon for Shelton?

Would Ben Shelton’s Olympics sacrifice payoff? Or Wimbledon luck will follow?

US Open 2023 was special for the young American tennis sensation. He burst into the scene with a semifinal run, before Novak Djokovic got the better of him. But this time Shelton didn’t want to be caught unprepared in his US Open campaign. In hopes of making it to the finals and further winning the title, Shelton skipped the coveted Paris Olympics.

He reasoned his decision, “I want to prepare and really get ready for the US Open… So having to go back to Europe to play on clay, a different surface, you know, it kind of messes up a few lead-up tournaments to the US Open that I would play if I wasn’t playing the Olympics.”

Moreover, the Wimbledon outing was a good one for Shelton, but there was always some scope to be better. No one has ever won 4 consecutive 5-setter matches on the Grass Courts of London. However, Ben Shelton’s gritty gameplay fell short in riding the Jannik Sinner wave in the R4. Why was Shelton unable to get past Sinner?

There could be a few reasons other than the Italian’s superior gameplay. Shelton had already played 3 five-setters to get past the initial challenges. However, it wasn’t easy, as rain made the schedule haphazard. Would extreme heat lead to exhaustion for the players, or they could sail through the challenges of nature and their tough opponents all at once?