The scene will remain one of the defining images of the 2026 French Open. Jakub Mensik, the 26th seed, defeated Mariano Navone 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(11) after 4 hours and 41 minutes of relentless battle. Then he collapsed face-first onto the clay, unable to stand.
The 20-year-old Czech had been visibly cramping since midway through the fifth set. During the closing points of the tiebreak, he was lurching rather than running, dragging himself between exchanges. The tiebreak alone lasted nearly 25 minutes, with both players trading blows all the way up to a staggering 13-11 scoreline.
As Mensik struck the winning forehand on match point, he immediately dropped his racket and fell to the ground. Medical staff rushed in, placing ice towels around his neck and an ice pack on his forehead. A wheelchair was offered. He refused it, eventually walking off the court under his own power after several minutes lying on the clay.
At the press conference, the young Czech did not hold back. "It is unbelievable to play in this heat, to spend more than four and a half hours under this sun. We have little rest time, the changeovers are short, it is hard to lower your body temperature." He also criticized the chair umpire, who penalized him multiple times for exceeding the shot clock, costing him two first serves. "As for the referee today, what happened after the match I will keep to myself," he said.
The heatwave gripping Paris this week has turned conditions on the outside courts into a grueling test of endurance, with shade virtually nonexistent and temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Mensik now hopes to recover in time to face Alex de Minaur in the third round.
