There have been some brutal opening weeks in the history of Roland Garros, but what is going on in Paris right now is unprecedented. It has been 33 degrees Celsius every day since the tournament began, temperatures that belong to the height of the Australian Open summer heat, not late May in the French capital. Players say conditions haven’t been this extreme at Roland Garros since the 2024 Paris Olympics, which were held in July and August.

The clay is baking, and there is no shade on the courts. Players have been walking off one by one before the end of their matches. During the first two days of the 2026 French Open, six players retired mid-match.

The first came on Sunday when Gabriel Diallo took a medical timeout off the court for treatment on his lower back against James Duckworth. He was back for a short stint but couldn’t go on and retired at 3-6, 1-4. “That’s mainly what it was. It was getting worse and worse,” he said afterward.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired at 6-7(5), 1-2 against Magdalena Frech on the same day after a consultation with her physio. Two retirements in one day, and the tournament has hardly begun.

By the end of the third set against Roman Andres Burruchaga, Sebastian Baez was finding it hard to move. He fought on, but in the fourth, he was forced to retire.

Cameron Norrie versus Adolfo Daniel Vallejo retired 6-7(7), 0-2. It was just the second retirement of his career and the first above ITF level, a fact that speaks volumes as to just how extreme the conditions had become.

Alexandre Muller retired at 0-3 in the second set against Stefanos Tsitsipas after taking a medical timeout and treatment on his calf, returned, and played a point. He was clearly in pain and could be seen crying as he left the court.

Moyuka Uchijima retired at 1-4 in the decider against Claire Liu, seemingly being badly affected by the heat and not wanting to continue.

It all accounted for six retirements in the opening days due to incessant heat. The complete list: Gabriel Diallo ret. 3-6, 1-4 vs. Duckworth. Elena-Gabriela Ruse ret. 6-7(5), 1-2 vs. France. Moyuka Uchijima ret. 6-3, 0-6, 1-4 vs. Liu. Alexandre Muller ret. 2-6, 0-3 vs. Tsitsipas. Cameron Norrie ret. 6-7(7), 0-2 vs. Vallejo. Sebastian Baez ret. 6-2, 5-7, 2-6, 0-2 vs. Burruchaga.

Hottest Parisian Summer Taking Its Toll

Roland Garros is known for challenging court conditions, but is rarely known for its heat over the years. The Australian and the US Open, two hard-court Slams, have long been associated with oppressive heat. Paris in late May typically has temperatures in the low to mid 20s Celsius, which is cool enough that players have traditionally complained about the cold rather than the heat.

Rafael Nadal once described playing on Philippe-Chatrier at 13°C as “too cold to play tennis.” Daria Kasatkina stated unequivocally after her first-round victory this week: “I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros. Maybe one day. But we’re going to have it for the whole week.”

Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion who knows this tournament better than anyone, said the conditions were unlike anything she had seen here before. Entire Europe is grappling with a powerful heat dome, a persistent high-pressure system that acts like a lid on a pot, trapping hot air and pushing it downward as temperatures in Paris are soaring.

The last comparable heat at Roland Garros, players agreed, was the 2024 Paris Olympics, which were held in July and August, not late May. This week, at least 20 French cities experienced their highest May temperatures on record. Roland Garros is still in its early stages, with six retirements, thirteen withdrawals, and nine days remaining.

Before the players even stepped on the court, 13 had already pulled out of the tournament altogether. Nine names are on the ATP list alone, including world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 11 Lorenzo Musetti, world No. 20 Arthur Fils, world No. 44 Holger Rune, and world No. 75. Jack Draper, world number 37, and Alexander Blockx made it through their first round but withdrew on Wednesday ahead of their second round against Alex de Minaur. Four players, including former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, pulled out of their matches on the WTA side.

Some arrived in Paris nursing injuries from a punishing clay swing. Others looked at the forecast and made the call. The heat has just amplified every physical problem that was there anyway, turning niggles that were manageable into tournament-ending decisions.