Why was Alcaraz vs Fognini Wimbledon 2025 match paused during fifth set?
The first round match in the Wimbledon 2025 between Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini was paused for more than 15 minutes during the fifth set on Monday.
The pause was taken after a spectator needed medical assistance in the stands and Alcaraz himself seemed to run over to offer some water to the person.
Alcaraz was leading the fifth set 3-0 when the match was stopped.
On resumption, the defending champion didn’t waste much time to wrap up the set and clinch the match 7-5, 6-7 [5], 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
This was Fognini’s last appearance at the Wimbledon. This was the 38-year-old Italian’s 15th time playing at the fabled grass-court Slam.
While the reason behind the medical break is yet to be confirmed, London had been experiencing hotter temperatures to the build-up of the tournament.
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The temperature shortly before play was scheduled to begin in the first matches at 11 a.m. local time was 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) — not yet quite reaching the 85 F (29.3 C) measured during the first day of the 2001 fortnight.
“I’ll spend the whole day going from one shady spot to another,” said Sally Bolton, the chief executive officer of the All England Club.
“Obviously, it’s a very warm day. The first obvious point to make is that the athletes compete in temperatures like this all year on the tour,” Bolton said. “For us Brits here at The Championships, it feels very hot.”
The average daytime temperature in London in June is 71 F (21.5 C), although the government’s official weather office said this spring was “the UK’s warmest and sunniest” since that’s been tracked.
Wimbledon, like other tennis tournaments, monitors air temperature, surface temperature and humidity for a heat-stress reading that, if it exceeds 30.1 C (about 86 F), allows for 10-minute breaks between the second and third sets of women’s matches or between the third and fourth sets of men’s matches.
Among other precautions being taken Monday, Bolton said, were having more ice on court available for players to use to cool off, rotating ball girls and boys more frequently “if we feel we need to,” and giving regular breaks to workers around the grounds.
(With AP inputs)
