Climate change’s next victim: Sports

A sizzling summer has made climate change a hot topic. We are literally in uncharted territory, with unprecedented global temperatures.

Because of this, climate change is adding a layer of complexity to topics that have not traditionally had environmental dimensions. Take, for instance, sports.

Many of us watch and participate in athletic events but have not really connected sports to climate change. But every sport, especially those played outdoors, is vulnerable to extreme weather.

As an avid tennis player, I find myself canceling outdoor games because of extreme heat and poor air quality. It is hard to imagine how professional tennis players stay on the courts in brutal heat for hours with millions of people watching. (This summer’s Wimbledon men’s final drew 3.2 million viewers in scorching heat.)

In addition, climate change interrupted play when protestors stormed Wimbledon courts to make a point about the issue.

Professional tennis players began to complain about rising temperatures in 2018 during the U.S. Open in New York City, which took place in a hot August summer. New rules had to be introduced because of climate change. For the first time in the event’s history, an extreme heat policy was implemented to help tennis players cope with temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The policy allowed men to take a 10-minute break between the third and fourth sets if a player requested it. The rule has previously allowed players in the Women’s Tennis Association Tour to take a 10-minute break after the second set. Fans were encouraged to stay hydrated, apply sunscreen and seek shade.

Looking ahead at tennis, outdoor matches could be doomed.

One tennis prediction, conducted by FiveThirtyEight, a polling and news website, used United National forecasts to predict future tennis events.

Their modeling found that by 2050, the Australian Open finals could take place in what would feel like 147 degrees Fahrenheit, with an air temperature of 105.4 and relative humidity of 58.2 percent. When Ash Barty made tennis history there last year, the temperature was more than 30 degrees lower, at 71 degrees. The French Open in Paris could experience an index of 113 degrees by 2050.

Sport by sport, the impact of climate change is not hard to image. Rising sea levels could flood arenas and stadiums. Wildfires could make air quality unbearable.

But sports can also help address climate change, given their popularity and reach. Teams can serve as role models for sustainability.

The International Olympic Committee has developed a sustainability strategy that will consider reducing direct and indirect carbon emissions, energy efficiency and better design and construction of events and housing, among other goals.

Sports is also big business.

In 2022, the industry’s revenue amounted to nearly $487 billion; by 2027, the global sports market is expected to be worth more than $623 billion. Businesses will be forced to deal with the rising expenses of climate change as it drives up agricultural costs and disrupts supply chains, from small local shops to large multinational corporations. Ultimately, consumers bear those costs.

There is no longer a need to make the issue of climate change part of every story. It is the story. And we, as news consumers, must become global citizens, informed, aware and engaged if we want any chance at protecting our planet.

Tara D. Sonenshine is the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Public Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.