Australian Open 2026: Players, fans brace for extreme heat

Key Highlights

• Used to hot conditions in Florida, the American needed only 75 minutes to complete a straightforward 6-3 6-3 win over unseeded Czech Karolina Pliskova.
• "I was excited by the heat," she said on court after booking a fourth-round matchup with fellow American and friend Jessica Pegula, the sixth seed.
• Pegula wrapped up ​her early match at Margaret Court Arena even quicker than Keys, ⁠taking down Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3 6-2.
• "I didn't have to kind of kill myself today," said Pegula, also based in Florida.
• "Luckily today everything worked out pretty well." The Australian Open operates under ​an extreme heat policy that considers ⁠air temperature, radiant heat, wind speed and humidity to assess playing conditions, allowing officials to delay or suspend matches when thresholds are exceeded.