"Due to the heat, no matches will take place in the outdoor arenas before 5:30 p.m.," the Australian Open wrote on X.
In arenas where possible, the roofs have been closed. At 2:45 p.m. local time, when play was suspended, the temperature in Melbourne was 35.7 degrees Celsius.
The announcement came in the middle of Italian world number two Jannik Sinner's match against Eliot Spizzirri. When the match was interrupted, it was tied 1–1 in sets. After the roof was rolled out, play resumed and Sinner won 3–1 in sets.
According to Australian Open rules, the tournament's head umpire can suspend play or order extended breaks in the event of extreme weather.
