"DC players lounge hotter than balls" - Max Purcell bemoans "unreal" heat in Washington DC amidst Citi Open 2024
Max Purcell is battling challenging conditions at his current tournament in Washington, DC. The Australian tennis star is competing in both singles and doubles formats at the 2024 Mubadala Citi DC Open.
Purcell's singles campaign in the American capital was shortlived as he came up short in an enthralling three-set contest against compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3. In the doubles, Purcell is playing alongside another Aussie Jordan Thompson. They are the second seed and kicked off their title quest with a convincing win over Diego Hidalgo and John-Patrick Smith 6-2, 6-3 in just 60 minutes.
In the middle of all this action, Max Purcell took some time to tell fans about the weather conditions under which the players are competing in Washington, DC. In an Instagram story, the 26-year-old used a colorful comparison to explain the intense heat in the player's lounge in DC and deemed the conditions "unreal" for the athletes to play.
"DC players lounge hotter than balls. Unreal conditions for players getting ready to battle it out in the heat," Purcell wrote on Instagram.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in hunt for third doubles title in 2024 at Citi Open
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson are amongst the most successful doubles teams on the 2024 ATP Tour. The Australian pair has won four tour-level titles together in their careers, with three of them coming in 2024. Interestingly, all three triumphs have come in North America.
Purcell and Thompson's first title in 2024 came at the Dallas Open, where they bettered the likes of Santiago Gonzalez-Neal Skupski and William Blumberg-Rinky Hijikata en route to the trophy. The Aussies then emerged triumphant at the ATP 250 Mifel Tennis Open in Los Cabos, Mexico, defeating Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Gonzalo Escobar in the final.
Purcell and Thompson bagged their third title of the year at the US Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston. They picked up the ATP 250 title after a win over John Peers and Williams Blumberg in the final.
The duo was on the cusp of winning their maiden Grand Slam title at the Wimbledon Championships. They were seeded 15 in the men's doubles draw in London and bettered Jay Clarke-Marcus Willis, Fabrice Martin-Matwe Middelkoop, Andreas Mies-John Patrick Smith, Maximo Gonzalez-Andres Molteni, and top seeds Horacio Zeballos-Marcel Granollers to reach the final. The title quest was ended by Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson are in firm contention to qualify for the year-end championships and the ATP Finals and are currently at the eighth spot on the qualifying list.