ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2026

Jakub Mensik

Press Conference

J. MENSIK/J. Fonseca

6-4, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Jakub, well done. Such a high-level match and an exciting finish. What were you thinking when Joao kept saving those match points?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, well, thank you. Obviously very, I would say, tough and so much expected match from both of us, from the audience, and from everyone. Yeah, I'm super happy with the performance overall.

Yeah, like you said, the last, I mean, 20, 30 minutes of the match, it was just really insane the level from both of us and actually a lot of, I would say, key moments at the time.

Even after those match points when I didn't manage to take them, when I was 6-5 up, I'm happy that, you know, even after I stayed mentally focused and calm and managed to level up my game in the tiebreak and be the one who managed to take it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well done today. I know the mental side of the game is important to you. Can I just ask how you were able to kind of reset after the disappointment of missing those six match points, there was the smash, and then come and play a pretty flawless tiebreak?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, I don't know. Like I said, of course at the time I was just in the zone. I mean, I don't even know that probably I was focusing on the score. I was more focusing on my game, on my performance, and just on myself.

At the time even if the crowd erupts, I couldn't hear anything. Basically I was that much in the zone and so focused that actually I was just focusing on every other point.

Yeah, I mean, second serve maybe it was out, maybe it was in. I don't know. Like you said, the smash that I mis-hit, but there was so many other great shots from my side.

It was just the moment that, yes, it was on the match point, but I mean, like I'm saying, I'm happy that even with that long, long games and basically when the momentum was coming on his side, I still managed to level up my game on the tiebreak.

Q. Jakub, well done tonight. Your clay season before this Roland Garros was pretty average, I guess. Three wins; three loss. What made you able to play at this level here in Roland Garros at this level of confidence, commitment? You've played Sascha Zverev during this clay season in Madrid with a short loss. What are the takeaways of this match?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, I mean, before the tournament I was saying in the interviews that, of course, the clay season didn't went how I wanted. Not in result way, but in the way how basically it went.

I was so unlucky with basically the beginning of the clay court season when I was basically already prepared for my match in Monte-Carlo. Unfortunately, I got an infection in my toe. Then I got virus, which made me out for another two weeks.

Before Madrid I practice just three, four days. I came to Madrid, yeah, without many matches. Even if I reach, you know, the fourth round, still -- or third, I don't know. I won two matches there. Still I was not feeling good.

Basically because of the toe and because of the virus, I was more focusing on the things that they were outside of the court, which means what to do to be able to play. So actually when you are focusing on that, it's actually a lot of ups and downs.

Before Roland Garros I was finally healthy. I already managed all the things that I needed to do. I was basically super happy that I could come to Roland Garros, finally good prepared without any injury, playing pain-free.

Yeah, as the tournament is going, I'm playing better and better. Even with the match with Sascha in Madrid, of course, it was close one. It was best-of-three.

Right now it's some different situation. Of course, semifinals. I would say bigger match, best-of-five. I mean, yeah, I'm excited for the challenge.

Q. We all know that your relationship with Novak Djokovic has been quite special, and there was this famous training session in Montenegro where you got to know each other much, much better. Was that an occasion or maybe some other occasion which he passed on some of these secrets of managing Grand Slam challenges that you may be applying now in this fantastic run?

JAKUB MENSIK: I mean, of course, the relationship that we had and we are having with Novak, it's so special, and I'm super thankful for that. Basically the time when I was still not even starting on ATP Tour, I was still a junior, he invited me. He saw some potential in me.

Yeah, at the time it was really, really amazing experience. Of course, at the time I was not even -- I had a bad movement, but I'm fine. Sorry (smiling).

Yeah, of course, at that moment, I was not still able to play on the Grand Slam. So at the time it was more about, like, to get to know the tour and how the things works.

Actually as I went through and having the experience on the Grand Slams, that was probably the key moment for me to take those experiences and to manage to came and to play on the Grand Slams how I'm playing.

Q. You had some physical issues end of the second set, start of the third set. How are you feeling physically right now?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, I mean, first two sets I was controlling the game pretty well. I was controlling the game on the serve, on the return. I was super calm and very focused, and the momentum was on my side.

Unfortunately, at the end of the second set I started to feel some discomfort in my left leg, which was irritating me during the serve. So, I mean, I was, of course, afraid of what is that? Fortunately, it was just a tight muscle.

Because of that, I dropped my focus a little bit. So that's why at the beginning of the third set was not how I wanted. But as the match and as third set was going through and it was getting more intense, the pain, like, started to drop down a little bit. I started to not feel the pain at all, which obviously I'm super happy that it's nothing serious.

During the third set, again, I was able to lock in and to play again my game.