World number 11 Holger Rune has urged the ATP to implement a heat rule after a chaotic start to the Shanghai Masters. There were seven retirements during the first three rounds, while a number of players – including Roon himself – have had their lives checked out mid-match.
The Danish star explained: “I think there should be a heat rule like in the Grand Slams. I think every player would agree on that.
“Today was better, as you say, there was less heat today. But still, there was less heat, but if it had been more normal the temperature today would have been very hot. I think it was 31 degrees and very humid. But compared to other days it was very brutal.
“So I think there should be some kind of rule. We can handle a certain amount of heat because, you know, we’re fit, we’re strong, we’re mentally strong too, but there’s always a limit. I think it’s also important to take care of our health. We need to survive.
“I think there’s some kind of rule, you know, not that if it’s higher than that we should stop, but like in a Grand Slam, you know, they realize when it’s a little bit too high, and we wait a little bit to see if it drops.”
