# Roland Garros' Zombie Heat Apocalypse / The Death of the Diversified Elite Athlete / World Athletics Raises the Performance Bar

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-real-science-of-sport-podcast-495514/roland-garros-zombie-heat-apocalypse-the-death-of-the-diversified-elite-athlete-world-athletics-raises-the-performance-bar
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-real-science-of-sport-podcast-495514/roland-garros-zombie-heat-apocalypse-the-death-of-the-diversified-elite-athlete-world-athletics-raises-the-performance-bar.md
Podcast: [The Real Science of Sport Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-real-science-of-sport-podcast-495514)
Published: 2026-05-28T09:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/realscienceofsport/episodes/roland-garros-zombie-heat-apocalypse-the-death-of-the-divers
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/realscienceofsport/e/6a17fdaa8fd07475b5578875/media.mp3
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Duration seconds: 4305

## Resource

Get ad-free listening and exclusive shows by becoming a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport! In our Spotlight this week: The h eat wave in Paris is making life very difficult at Roland Garros, with Casper Ruud describing himself as "walking around like a zombie" during his first round match. We explore the physiology of heat regulation in tennis, how safety policies are developed to protect players, explain why heat changes the tactical and technical nature of play , and what can be done to help players without handing out free passes to those less well prepared Sean Ingle joined us recently to talk about the Enhanced Games . We share our thoughts as the dust settles, with more reflection on why the premise of trustworthiness was never really delivered, the money that is turning athlete's heads, and Gareth walks back a few things he said in the heat of the moment We explain the deliberate logic behind World Athletics' new qualification standards , and what it means for athletes without a good agent or a seat at the Diamond League table Rugby and concussion are in the Spotlight again with two research developments. First, a group of researchers is promising a new evidence-backed head impact assessment protocol for women's players . Ross doesn't know exactly what that means, and we discuss what is already known about women's susceptibility to concussion. Then, a new study out of Ireland provides the first published evidence that lowering the legal tackle height in rugby has reduced concussion and overall injury rates at community level. Ross, who has been directly involved in the process, explains what we now know, what still needs work, and why a 20% drop, scaled across tens of thousands of players, is a genuinely meaningful public health win Can an athlete still com…

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