Grand Slam Tournaments Are Getting Hotter. US Open Players and Fans May Feel That This Week

NEW YORK (AP) Andy Murray prepared for the steamy conditions often found at the U.S. Open by simulating the brutal heat and humidity in New York this time of year with the help of, well, an actual steam room at his home.

The 36-year-old British tennis star set the humidity in there at 70% and spent hours riding a stationary bike nearby with the thermostat cranked up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), making the air feel as muggy as it does every summer around Flushing Meadows, where the years last Grand Slam tournament entered its second week on Monday. Just to try and help with the heat adaptation, explained Murray, who claimed the title in New York in 2012 but lost in mild conditions in the second round this time.

If the start of competition at the 2023 U.S. Open offered a bit of a reprieve for athletes, ball crews and spectators alike, thanks to highs mostly in the 70s F (20s C) It is a little cooler than usual; thats definitely easier to play in, Belgian player Elise Mertens said last week that changed Sunday, when it hit 90 F (32 C). The temperature was forecast to soar even more in the coming days.