It’s so hot that the US Open adopted a new policy to partially close arena roofs

NEW YORK (AP) — It got so hot and humid at the U.S. Open on Tuesday that the folks in charge adopted a new policy for the rest of this year’s tournament: They will partially shut the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof in extreme conditions to offer some extra shade.

The temperature climbed above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and the humidity topped 50% on Tuesday, making it the steamiest day of the two-week Grand Slam tournament in Flushing Meadows.

The change to the roof policy was made during Coco Gauff’s 6-0, 6-2 victory over Jelena Ostapenko, when the conditions crossed a threshold for protecting players in the heat, but that match was over too quickly to adjust the retractable cover, tournament referee Jake Garner told The Associated Press.

The new policy is “in the best interest of fans and players,” Garner said.

An Associated Press analysis showed the average high temperatures felt during the U.S. Open and the three other major tennis tournaments steadily have gotten higher and more dangerous in recent decades, reflecting the climate change that created record heat waves around the globe this summer. For athletes, it can keep them from playing their best and, worse, increases the likelihood of heat-related illness.

The forecast calls for even hotter temperatures in the coming days; the tournament ends Sunday.