Roger Federer's former coach Ivan Ljubicic seemingly took a subtle shot at the Cincinnati Open organizers over scheduling matches during "extreme conditions."
Through the first week of this year's Cincinnati edition, one of the main storylines has been the extreme heat and humidity.
On Monday, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Arthur Rinderknech found themselves in a very tight battle. With Auger-Aliassime up 7-6 (4) 2-2, Rinderknech fainted on the court. After receiving treatment, the Frenchman decided to continue the match. But after losing the next two games, he decided to leave the court. The match started at 11 AM local time.
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Ljubicic, who coached Federer between 2016 and 2022, suggests playing in such conditions is dangerous to health and well-being of a player.
Ljubicic: Fainting because of extreme conditions has nothing to do with being fit
"Nobody wins when players are fainting because of extreme conditions... Which other sport does this? Players are asked to go out day after day to complete in such conditions... Has nothing to do with being fit," the former world No. 3 wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime was as honest as possible after the scene in the Rinderknech match, comparing the Cincinnati conditions to being in "an oven."
"It feels like we're in an oven. We spoke afterward, and he (Rinderknech) told me he wasn't feeling very well today, right from the start, and that was the case throughout the entire match. He tried to stay in the fight. Winning that first set was key for me," he said.
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On Tuesday evening, rain started falling in Cincinnati. While it suspended some matches, it also served as a nice refreshment. Some rain is also expected to fall on Wednesday.
