Jakub Mensik French Open Collapse Follows 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (11) Win
Jakub Mensik French Open collapse came Wednesday after the 26th seed finished a five-set win over Mariano Navone, then went down on court at Roland Garros. He had just sealed a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 result in Paris.
The win pushed Mensik into Friday’s third round against Alex de Minaur, but the finish was the story. Medical staff helped him up after he appeared to suffer full-body cramps, and he was taken back to the locker room in a medical wheelchair.
Mensik Finishes Navone
Mensik ended the match with a forehand winner, then collapsed on the court. The finish came after more than four and a half hours in 32C conditions, with the Czech player saying the weather and the sun made the day brutal.
“It’s insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun,” Mensik said after the match. He added that the time on court was punishing: “To be there for more than four and a half hours, that’s just insane, and even with the breaks you don’t have that much time, the ballboy cannot bring you a towel during the changeover.”
Paris Heat Tests Players
Mensik said he began to feel sick on court and could no longer take in electrolytes and water. He also said he received a warning and lost his first serve because of the strict time limits between points, and added, “Here it’s super-strict which I totally respect, but obviously in this heat and in these conditions it’s insane.”
The heat had already hit another player at the tournament, with Casper Ruud also struggling with heat illness in his first-round match. Novak Djokovic handled the same conditions differently, beating Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes to reach the third round at 39 years old.
Friday For De Minaur
Mensik said he would be ready for Friday’s third-round match against de Minaur. For now, the bigger number from his day is still the time: more than four and a half hours before the collapse, the wheelchair, and a match that ended with one winner on the scoreboard and a much tougher finish for the player who got there first.
