Extreme heat policy

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Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open. Rod Laver Arena, the centre court, in the background.

The Extreme Heat Policy is a rule pertaining to the Australian Open (tennis). It was introduced in 1998 after consultation with a number of tennis players. Under the Policy, no new matches commence on outside courts, but matches already in progress continue to their conclusion. A special rule applies to the two courts with retractable roofs, Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena; matches already underway will not close their roofs due to heat once a match has commenced. There is provision to make breaks between games and sets longer than usual in these matches.

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature is used to help decide whether the EHP should be implemented. The WBGT is a measure of heat stress index and takes into account the actual temperature as well as radiation, wind and humidity. It is a combination of the WBGT with the actual air temperature that is used to decide whether the EHP is activated.

There is much controversy to the rule, though. It has forced players to forfeit matches, such as Janko Tipsarević who chose not to continue playing against David Nalbandian in the 2007 Australian Open. Australian Open organizers defended the policy stating that matches can be halted at the discretion of the tournament referee.