Mensik advances in the Epos

After match point, a wheelchair had to be brought in

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27.05.2026 19:05

More drama under the brutal sun of the French Open! Jakub Mensik and Federico Navone battled it out for 4 hours and 41 minutes in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees. The Czech player finally converted his eighth match point in the tiebreak to win 13-11—and then collapsed on the court. “My body just shut down,” he said later.

It was a match that had been expected to be close. On a good day, Jakub Mensik can beat almost anyone, as he proved with his 2025 Miami title, while Federico Navone, true to his Argentine roots, is a clay-court specialist. And the two threw everything they had at each other on Court 6 at Roland Garros.

In the end, Mensik was truly completely spent. At 5-4 in the fifth set, he had already squandered two match points, and five more were added during the match tiebreak. Then the 20-year-old smashed a powerful forehand right into the corner. He didn’t even see it land—he was already lying on his back in the sand.


 Shakes Hands While Lying
Down The crowd celebrated his wild 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (11) victory, but Mensik didn’t get up. He remained lying down for minutes, even receiving the handshake from Navone—who had come over to his side—while still on the ground. Eventually, a wheelchair was even wheeled onto the court. With the help of the doctors who had also rushed over, Mensik was finally able to get back on his feet.

“It’s just crazy to play in this heat,” said the Czech, blaming the conditions for his cramps and eventual physical collapse. Starting in the fourth set, he hadn’t been able to drink any more water because it made him feel sick, and that came back to haunt him.


 had a bye in the next round
. “There will never be a victory if I can’t smile,” the world No. 27 said, managing to find some joy despite it all. But how is he supposed to get fit in time for his third-round match on Friday? His opponent, Alex de Minaur, experienced the exact opposite. He skipped his second-round match because Alex Blockx had injured himself in practice. 

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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