It's Survival," Rinderknech Describes the Scorching Playing Conditions in Cincinnati
Arthur Rinderknech secured an impressive victory on Saturday at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, defeating Casper Ruud in three sets (6-7, 6-4, 6-2).
The Frenchman clinched his spot in the tournament's third round under sweltering heat, a first in his career. Speaking to *L’Équipe*, he reflected on the challenges of playing in such conditions:
"You just have to try to reset everything between each point. Breathe properly, drink the right way, eat the right way. It’s survival. But we’re still lucky to have ball kids doing their part by bringing us towels or holding umbrellas for us during changeovers.
We also have a machine blowing cool air at us. But playing sports like this, in the blazing sun, isn’t great for the body or the mind. Still, it’s the same for everyone, and you just have to deal with it. With the Masters 1000 format, we play every other day, so there’s time to recover. If it were a match every day, it’d be a different story.
Cincinnati