US Open: It’s not like, all of a sudden, hot in North America, says Roger Federer

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, towels off between sets against Steve Darcis. (Source: AP)

Roger Federer insists there are no excuses for players wilting in the US Open heat after the number of retirements reached a Grand Slam record 12.

After 10 men quit in the first round, Jack Sock of the United States and Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin retired on Thursday.

Despite temperatures rocketing to over 30 degrees over the first four days, in harness with crushing levels of humidity at Flushing Meadows, Federer offered no sympathy.

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“We’ve been here in North America for some time. It’s not like, all of a sudden, hot. I mean, it was more on the warmer side, but it’s not like impossible, to be quite honest. Really no excuse for that,” said the 34-year-old.

“I think everybody should be well-prepared. I know we don’t play many best-of-five-set matches all the time, so of course the body can react funny once you exceed the two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours of play.

“Maybe some guys already came in too tired, whatever it was. I think you have to analyze case by case. But I think other players should be so fit that heat really shouldn’t matter at that point, the ones we’ve been playing in.”