On a hot, sunny day in Florida, I was serving during a game that had already gone to six deuces in the second set of a league doubles match. Suddenly, my opponent started to leave the court in the middle of the game because she wanted to put on sunblock. I denied her request, but afterward I was criticized for not allowing a legitimate medical timeout. Was I wrong?
— Henny Eifler, Bonita Springs, FL
Leagues can—and do—make up their own rules that may differ from the USTA’s regulations. I can’t speak to what your league says on this issue, or if it even addresses it. That said, sensitivity to sun is not a “treatable medical condition” necessitating a mid-game medical timeout any more than, say, being nearsighted. If someone forgot their glasses, he or she couldn’t stop in the middle of a game to track them down in the locker room. Your opponent can apply her sunscreen at the next changeover. You were within your rights to make her wait.
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
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