What the weather is like at the French Open and why players prefer not to play during the night session
The 2022 French Open is gradually reaching its climax. In the men's singles, Rafael Nadal takes on Alexander Zverev while Casper Ruud faces Marin Cilic in the semifinals.
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Coco Gauff will square off against Iga Swiatek in the women's singles final on Saturday.
The French Open is not as well known for its weather as the Australian Open, but with the introduction of night sessions this year, the climate has become a talking point this past fortnight.
What is the weather like at the French Open?
At present, the average temperature during the day in Paris is around 21 degrees Celsius while it is 11 degrees during the night. However, there are days when it can get colder during the day and a lot colder at night.
The expected temperatures during the last three days of the French Open are as follows:
Why do players prefer not to play during the night session?
During cooler and more humid conditions at night, players cannot impart as much top spin to their shots. Rafael Nadal himself has admitted that he does not like night sessions on clay because "the ball is slower" and conditions are very heavy.
"I don't like night sessions on clay," Nadal was quoted as saying by ESPN. "I say the other day. I am very clear with that. I don't like to play on clay during the night, because humidity is higher, the ball is slower, and can be very heavy conditions especially when it's cold. I think that makes a big difference on the way tennis is played on clay during the night and during the day."
Nadal's semi-final opponent Alexander Zverev concurred, saying that it is difficult to play on clay during the night, particularly when it is cold. The 25-year-old pointed out that the lack of heat would make his serve and forehand even slower.
"I don't mind the evening sessions when it's 30 degrees [Celsius, 86 Fahrenheit] during the day, you know," Zverev said. "When it's 14 degrees, like today, then in the night it's going to be what, 8, 9, something like that, it gets difficult. Because my serve is going to be even slower, my forehand is going to be even slower. It's not going to be an easy thing for me to play at 9:30 at night with no sunlight, with no heat, and 8 degrees."
"I think the night session's start time is too late, We tried to modernize the event, but there are adjustments to be made" - Amelie Mauresmo on French Open scheduling controversy dlvr.it/SRVfrF
No more matches are scheduled to take place during the night session at the French Open. It will be interesting to see whether the tournament's organizers decide to scrap the night schedule in the future since it can have such a big impact on players' performance.