Mensik Collapses After Marathon Victory in Intense Heat
Jakub Mensik collapsed on court after a demanding second-round match at the French Open, citing that his body "just turned off" amid extreme heat conditions in Paris.
The 20-year-old Czech endured a four-hour and 41-minute battle against Argentina's Mariano Navone, prevailing 6-3 2-6 6-4 1-6 7-6 (13-11) under temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius during a French heatwave.
Mensik, who has shown flashes of brilliance in his early career but has been hampered by injuries, was overcome with cramps and emotion upon securing the victory. He required eight match points to finally close out the win and was unable to move after collapsing to the floor.
Navone crossed the net to congratulate Mensik and assisted him to his feet, but Mensik remained immobile. Medical staff attended to him for several minutes, applying ice packs to his head, neck, and chest to aid recovery. An ice pack was also placed on the court for Mensik to rest his head.
Eventually, Mensik was helped to stand and walked off the court, though he struggled again en route to the locker room. He was then placed in a wheelchair and taken away for further care.
Mensik later told the media that he had undergone an ice bath and a recovery session in the gym as he prepared for his third-round match against eighth seed Alex de Minaur scheduled for Friday.
Mensik Reflects on Playing in Extreme Conditions
"When I hit the last winner, the emotions went out and my body just turned off," Mensik said.
"It's insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun, to be there for more than four and a half hours is just insane.
"Even with the breaks, you don't have that much time. The ball kids can't bring your towel and during the changeover you have just one minute. Before you sit it's already 30 seconds and there's not that much time to cool yourself down."
Mensik, competing on one of Roland Garros's outer courts that offer no shade, also expressed frustration at being penalized for taking too long between points, which resulted in him losing his first serve twice.
Other Players and Heat Management at the French Open
Meanwhile, three-time former champion Novak Djokovic faced Valentin Royer on Court Philippe Chatrier, which is equipped with a roof, playing for three hours and 44 minutes. Djokovic lost a tight third set in a tie-break but recovered to win 6-3 6-2 6-7 (7-9) 6-3.
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic suggested that scheduling matches later in the evening could be considered as an alternative to mitigate extreme heat conditions.
The French Open organizers monitor temperatures using two wet bulb sensors located on Chatrier and Court 14. If thresholds are met, a 10-minute break may be introduced after the second set of women's matches and the third set of men's matches. Matches can be suspended if temperatures continue to rise, although no match has ever been halted due to extreme heat at the tournament.
Women's 15th seed Marta Kostyuk commented on the conditions, stating they are not as severe as those she experienced during the 2024 Olympics at the same venue but acknowledged the heat is still challenging.
"It's still hot and it's very dry. I always felt like I need to drink, I want to drink more and more. It was tough."
Earlier in the week, former finalist Casper Ruud described feeling like "walking around like a zombie" and feared heat stroke after suffering cramps in 33C temperatures.
One player who avoided the worst heat on Wednesday was men's second seed Alexander Zverev, who played during the night session when temperatures dropped to approximately 18C. The 2024 Roland Garros runner-up advanced with a commanding 6-4 6-2 6-2 victory over Czech player Tomas Machac in one hour and 48 minutes.
