Women's Tennis Star Reveals Painful Australian Open Sun Injury

The Australian Open sun is no wimp.

It's the hottest Australian Open in 17 years. Court temperatures reached 43C at the Australian Open earlier this month (that's 109 degrees F). Play had to be suspended on the courts due to the extreme heat.

Women's tennis star Aryna Sabalenka was among those forced to play outside.

“At the end of the match, it was really hot out there,” said Sabalenka after her match. “I’m glad they closed the roof almost halfway so we had a lot of shade in the back [of the court]. I guess, as a woman, we are stronger than the guys. They had to close the roof [completely] for the guys so they don’t suffer, you know.”

The Australian Open has been using their Extreme Heat Protocol.

"The policy, developed by the University of Sydney’s Heat and Health Research Centre, uses a 'Heat Stress Scale' ranging from 1 to 5 and taking into account the air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed," The Telegraph reported.

"When the index hits 5, play is suspended on outside courts and the retractable roofs are closed on the three arenas at Melbourne Park."

The sun is doing more than just impact the stamina of players.

Women's tennis star Renata Zarazúa shared a photo of her extremely painful sunburn at the tournament.

"The Australian sun is no joke," she wrote.

The 28-year-old Mexican women's tennis star ended up losing in the first round of the tournament.

Hopefully, she's put some Aloe Vera to use.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.