ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2025

Jakub Mensik

Press Conference

J. MENSIK/A. Muller

7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.

JAKUB MENSIK: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Walk us through the match today. What do you think was the key?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, thank you.

Obviously it was a very tough match. I knew it in the beginning or before the match start that it's going to be tough, that everything will be against me.

Yeah, actually I saw the weather was sometimes kind of not playing into my cards. But yeah, I mean, for me it was most important to just stay focused, to try to, like, play every single point.

Actually, Alex is a great guy, playing really well past tournaments, this season actually. He made such a big improvement. It was a great fight, great battle. I'm glad after everything I take the W and I reached second round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. There's obviously some to-and-fro between the crowd and yourself in the match. Your hero is Novak Djokovic. Whenever he's in that situation, he often seems to play better if he's maybe got a crowd against him. How did you find the experience? Did you actually enjoy it, or are you proud that you got through it?

JAKUB MENSIK: No, I knew before the game that it's going to be difficult, that it's going to be like amazing atmosphere, actually for him (smiling).

So yeah, I mean, but I didn't expect that much, to be honest. Yeah, it's such a great experience. Everyone was telling me that on the Roland Garros, the atmosphere, the French people are special. Actually, I experienced that. I'm glad for that experience.

Yeah, I mean, like Novak is saying, when sometimes the crowd is against him, I was just repeating in my head when they were cheering or shouting his name, I was just trying to focus that they are shouting my name actually.

Of course, sometimes it was super difficult. But I think that I did well. The atmosphere here is something special. Of course, sometimes it was really, really difficult. In those pressure situation, I played really, really my great or my best tennis, which was the key actually.

Like I said, I mean, maybe they pushed me forward. That's why I played that good in the fourth set, yeah.

Q. Could you talk us through your celebration at the end of the third set. Looked like a pretty satisfying moment. Also you mentioned the conditions. Talk a bit about that.

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, I mean, like I said, Alex is playing very well on the clay courts. Actually when it was slower and slower, it was playing with him. So actually when there was already for one hour it was like rain, no rain. Actually the court were super slippery already.

The referee, she wanted us to continue. So the conditions were pretty tough at that time. Like I said, for Alex it was really great. Yeah, I'm just glad that in the third set I pumped myself up.

Actually the celebration, like I said, I was just imagining in my head that they are cheering for me. That was the key for me, because if I would be rude to myself or saying something to myself that it's bad, that I don't like, actually I would start to play really bad.

Actually not just after the third set, but all the time, I was just repeating in my head that they are cheering for me. I don't know if you remember, like Novak's celebration, I think it was against Jannik in Turin during the Masters, he was doing also orchestra. So, I mean, I was, That can be it (smiling).

Yeah, it was fun.

Q. For the last months you were playing with electronic line calling. Here we have the linesmen. In a match like that, did you have any concerns that some close calls might be a little bit tricky?

JAKUB MENSIK: Actually, in my match, there was nothing. Of course, you have to pay more attention about what is going on on the court. Sometimes you have to just look at the mark and see if it is out. Sometimes it happen that I stop the game.

After we get used to play with the electronic line calling, you just focus on the hit. Now you have to pay attention on the marks, which of course in these days it's already old style. I mean, I like it. The referees here are super good.

In my match, there was not a big incident. But I saw when I look in the TV, there were a couple of matches that the marks were super close. You're like, Oh, my God, what to say? I'm glad that in my match there was nothing like that.

Q. Do you think sometimes the French crowd goes too far? For example, between the first and second serve. Or do you think it's part of the game and it should be like this all year long?

JAKUB MENSIK: Well, good question.

It's tough to say what is, like, too far and what is not too far. I mean, sometimes when there is really some pressure situations, 30-40, break point down, something like this happen, of course. I mean, as far as it is fair play, it's okay.

But sometimes, like you said, screaming and shouting between those serves, I don't know, something like some gestures and everything, sometimes it is too far.

I mean, like I said, it's an experience. Roland Garros is very known of the French fans, of the French people. They are super cheering. It's like sometimes a football match.

In here I think it's okay (smiling).

Q. You're still really young in your career. You've achieved many things already. It doesn't show when you play that you don't have the experience of the players you're facing. Why do you think you've been learning so quickly to adjust to all these new situations?

JAKUB MENSIK: It's, like, great question. I would like to know, as well (smiling).

It's something, like I'm saying in all of the interviews, I've been on the tour already for more than one year right now. I think that I took a lot of experience. I have already a lot of matches behind me.

Of course, even if I'll be on tour 10 years, there will be always something new, like today. But yeah, I'm trying to take every experience, every match, every practice, every tournament like something that I have to work on or something that I want to improve all the time.

Actually, even if it is going that quickly, for me it's natural. For someone it can take even faster. For someone it takes slower. We're individual. For me it's going very natural. Glad for it. Glad that I can compete on the highest level with the best players in the world.