Wimbledon heat crisis: Fans bake under heatwave as venue runs out of water

Evian shut down its eco-friendly bottle refill points amid the extreme heatwave at Wimbledon.

Fans at Wimbledon were left struggling after several water refill points were shut down in the middle of a heatwave, according to a report by the Sun. Wimbledon's sponsor, Evian, was left embarrassed after it had to stop selling its new eco-friendly bottles, which customers were supposed to refill all day.

Wimbledon's sponsor, Evian, blamed “exceptionally hot weather” for the water crisis. (REUTERS)

What is considered the hottest tournament in the event's 147-year history led to the interruption of the Wimbledon semifinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz. The game was stopped twice after two fans fell ill due to the extreme heat. Reportedly, the mercury hit 31C in the area.

What did the company say?

“The exceptionally hot weather, combined with how popular the Evian refill system has been with both players and spectators, has resulted in demand being far higher than we have seen in previous years… As a result, we’ve had to stop offering Evian refill earlier than planned,” an Evian spokesperson told the Sun.

The company blamed the extreme weather conditions, adding they increased the demand for water from spectators and athletes.

Though the eco-friendly dispensers were shut off, the company’s red-top bottles were available at the shop. There was access to free tap water, with more than 100 refill points.

Calls to close retractable roof:

“From what I saw and heard on different tournaments, they’re usually not willing to close the roof when it’s not raining, when it’s not a necessity. I’m not sure why,” Polish finalist Iga Swiatek told the Sun while questioning why the venue’s £70 million retractable roof was not shut. The roof, which was completed in 2009, has never been closed due to hot weather. It takes about 10 minutes to shut.

“I felt like I was getting tired throughout some points of the match,” said US ace Anisimova. Belarusian player Sabalenka remarked, “London is not ready for this weather.”