This year’s US Open is coming in hot.
Tennis players and fans on Tuesday struggled in the oppressive heat of the Flushing Meadows tournament, where a sweat-drenched tennis racquet slipped out of star Tennis Fritz’s hands as temperatures surged to a sizzling 92 degrees.
“We know heat. We are used to heat. Even so, today it was tough!” Argentinian player Andres Molteni, 35, told The Post.
Molteni, who fell with his doubles partner Maximo Gonzalez, 40, to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the quarter-finals, said they had to adjust their game because of the temps.
“The heat today affects the conditions on the court. It makes it much faster,” Gonzalez said.
“The way the ball makes contact, it is much faster. You have to adjust. You return harder, serve with more slice.”
Meanwhile, Frtiz saw his racquet fly out of his hands as the American player faced off against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles quarterfinals in the mid-afternoon sun.
Earlier in the day, American racquet sensation Coco Gauff, 19, was spotted using ice packs to wipe down her limbs between sets during her 6-0, 6-2 victory over Jelena Ostapenko.
Court legend and analyst John McEnroe – who was forced to bow out of the tournament’s early days after testing positive for COVID last week – was also seen using a small portable fan during his on-air spot at Arthur Ashe Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the scorching temperatures had fans cowering in the shade of the tournament’s grounds.
“We came from Miami and it’s cooler in Miami today!” Justin Rubell, 54, told The Post.
“We’re hiding! Since we got here we’ve been hiding from the sun trying to eke out a little shade anywhere we go.”
Some die-hard tennis fans, however, were mostly unfettered by the sweltering conditions: Between matches, attendees could be heard calling out to players for autographs and staying put in their center-court seats.
“It’s incredibly hot but we’re sitting here all day! It doesn’t matter how hot it gets,” David E. Hedaya, 15, of Manhattan, told The Post.
Hedaya and his cousin, Sam J. Homway, also 15, have attended the Open since they were five years old, and were relying on tried-and-true staples to keep the temps at bay.
“We’re using hats, sunglasses, and water and I think the hat is key. I mean, you’re going to have to tough it but the hat seems to make a big difference for me,” Homway advised.
“I don’t care as long as the matches are good. If it’s a good match, we’re going to be right here! All day. I’m just using a nice lemonade to keep me from overheating,” Hedaya added.
US Open players and spectators can expect the heat to continue to climb through the week, with highs of 95 degrees Fahrenheit anticipated on Wednesday, with a low of 77, FOX Weather meteorologist Cody Braud told The Post.
Thursday is also set to be a scorcher, with a high of 93 degrees and a low of 76, meteorologist Cody Braud said.
Finally, on Friday, the heat is expected to drop down to a comparably-brisk 87, with a wave of thunderstorms due to roll in on Saturday and Sunday.
“This heat wave is just an extension of the heatwave that was ongoing over the central part of the country last week,” Braud said.
“They were experiencing record heat, and all its doing is moving east towards us for this week.”
