Although all players are affected by the temperature extremes, Lapthorne has highlighted the additional physical challenges facing wheelchair competitors.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the 35-year-old defending quad wheelchair men’s doubles champion said: “There are players within our category that can’t sweat if they’ve got a spinal cord injury.
“They don’t have the ability to cool down, so it can be quite dangerous if they’re in really extreme heat.
“I’ve had [cramp] in my forearms before because we’re pushing a wheelchair as well as hitting the ball and once that gets hold you, it can be very difficult to stop.”
While the tournament organisers have been proactive in responding to the weather, not only altering schedules but also providing numerous facilities to help fans cool down, not all players will get the benefit of playing under a roof.
“Do you know who suffers the most? The junior players. They are trying to play two junior matches at 09:00, before coming back at 18:30 and hoping it will cool down,” BBC Sport’s tennis correspondent Russell Fuller told the Australian Open Daily podcast.
“Those on at 09:00, it’s still going to be boiling. It is tough for the juniors under those conditions. Some of them are 15, 16 years of age.”
John Cain Arena – the third show court with a roof at Melbourne Park – is not scheduled to be used on Tuesday.
