Wimbledon has a new rule that will help Jannik Sinner.
Wimbledon is introducing a new rule this year that will help the defending champion, Jannik Sinner.
Sinner won Wimbledon for the first time in 2025, beating Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the final. The Italian star had an amazing run recently, winning five ATP 1000 finals in a row between November and May. He was also the favorite to win the French Open last month.
During his second-round match at Roland Garros, Sinner was serving for the match at 5-1, having comfortably won the first two sets against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo. But then he started feeling dizzy and nauseous and ended up losing the match after winning only two more games.
Afterwards, Sinner said he felt very low on energy and announced he would take some time off. There have been concerns about how well he handles hot weather, and if Wimbledon had been played during the UK’s recent heatwave, he might have struggled more.
Luckily, conditions are expected to cool down for Sinner’s first-round match on Centre Court against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday. To prepare for any future heat, Wimbledon organizers have introduced a new heat rule for the whole tournament.
Under this new rule, players can take a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in best-of-three matches, or between the third and fourth sets in best-of-five matches, whenever the heat stress index (which measures how hot it feels) is 30.1 degrees Celsius or higher.
This rule applies to all singles events, including juniors and wheelchair matches. It only works when the roof is open and doesn’t apply to doubles matches or games paused overnight unless enough sets have been played.
Officials will check the heat index 30 minutes before the first match each day, and again at 2 pm and 5 pm. If the weather changes after the heat index passes 30 degrees, the rule will stay in effect.
While temperatures on Monday are expected to be around 25 degrees, it’s possible Sinner’s match could see the heat index reach the limit, allowing him to take a heat break. The following Monday, when the final round of 16 matches takes place, could also hit or pass the 30-degree mark.