Another year of extreme heat at the Australian Open? The first case of a ball boy collapsing from heatstroke has appeared this year.

A tennis match would never be complete without the tireless efforts of the ball boys. From the first point to the last, they ensure the smooth flow of the game. As Federer once said, ball boys “are very important to us because they might also be the future of the sport.” However, as the 2026 Australian Open kicks off, the hot weather seems to be starting to challenge these young figures on the court.

On the first day of the Australian Open qualifiers in Melbourne, an unexpected incident occurred during the match between Moez Echargui and Luca Van Assche. During a brief break, the camera focused on Echargui wiping his face with a towel, preparing to serve. At that moment, a ball boy suddenly lost his balance, staggered, and then collapsed near the baseline.

As the 22nd seed, Echargui immediately reacted and rushed over to help, while the referee quickly entered the court. Fortunately, the young ball boy soon stood up again and was reassured by the players and staff. This swift response eased the tension in the stands during those few seconds.

After a short pause, the ball boy was escorted off the court for further care, and the match between Echargui and Van Assche resumed quickly. On Monday afternoon, the temperature at Melbourne Park reached a high of 31.9 degrees Celsius.

Despite Echargui’s determined and spirited effort, his French opponent showed greater overall consistency. Although the Tunisian produced some impressive shots, he was never able to break through and ultimately lost in straight sets. It was a commendable effort, just without the desired outcome.

The 21-year-old Van Assche won the match 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the second round of qualifying, where he will face Estonian player Daniel Grünberg tomorrow. As the qualifiers continue this week, the atmosphere at Melbourne Park is gradually heating up for the main event.

The Australian Open main draw will officially begin next Sunday, while the qualifying rounds run throughout this week. The high temperatures in Melbourne are expected to persist, but fortunately, the Australian Open is one of the few tournaments that implements an “Extreme Heat Policy” under such conditions.

Australia’s summer is relentless, with temperatures often soaring between 34 and 40 degrees Celsius, which is especially harsh for players battling through long matches. However, the “Happy Slam” has long introduced measures to cope with this.

The situation became particularly serious in 2019, when the organizers introduced the “Extreme Heat Policy” based on extensive medical research. This also led to the creation of the Australian Open Heat Stress Index — a sophisticated system measuring air temperature, sunlight intensity, humidity, and wind speed to determine when playing conditions shift from “challenging” to “dangerous,” ensuring both fierce competition and player safety.

When this index reaches level four early in a match, the rules change to give players valuable recovery time. Female, junior, and wheelchair players receive extra cooling breaks before the final set; male players get a 10-minute rest after the third set. During the scorching afternoons, these brief pauses can often influence the match outcome.

Not all tournaments have such arrangements, but this is changing. The ATP Tour will introduce a new rule for men’s singles in 2026: in best-of-three matches, players will be allowed a 10-minute rest if extreme heat conditions are met. This measure is inspired by the women’s tour, which adopted similar protections more than 30 years ago.

Whether players or ball boys, everyone will truly feel these changes when the Australian Open main draw starts on January 18. When the pressure rises, can these measures really help “cool things down”?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Huohua)