Heat-triggered electrical failure halts Wimbledon qualifying at Roehampton for more than an hour
An electrical problem caused by extreme heat suspended all qualifying matches simultaneously at Roehampton. Organizers replaced young ball boys with adult maintenance staff as a precaution.
An electrical problem triggered by extreme heat suspended Wimbledon qualifying matches at Roehampton for just over an hour, forcing players off the courts while staff worked to restore power.
Rising temperatures also activated the tournament’s heat rule. The failure struck all matches simultaneously, bringing play to a full stop across the site.
Ball boys replaced by adult staff
With young workers at risk in the intense heat, Wimbledon swapped its usual ball boys — typically minors — for adult members of the maintenance team. Human line umpires were unaffected, continuing to operate normally throughout the outage because their work required no electrical infrastructure.
Qualifying at Roehampton continues until the remaining spots in the main draw are filled. The main tournament begins the following week.
With information from Ben Rothenberg.
