ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2026

Jakub Mensik

Press Conference

J. MENSIK/A. Rublev

6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congrats, Jakub. First question on the match. What made it so difficult, and why did you finish by winning it? How do you analyze it?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, well, first of all, yeah, great match. It's been a journey. I mean, every set, every momentum has their own, I would say, story, because obviously I was two sets to love up, and then he came back 2-all, fifth set.

So I would say this match was more about keeping the momentum, which obviously first and second set, I was the one who was dictating the play.

Yeah, I felt pretty comfortable, even if the conditions were so much different than the other days, which makes it a little bit slower, you know. The balls were heavier. So it was not easy to adapt all of your, I would say, your game style to it.

But overall, I'm super happy with the performance, even if Andrey was playing -- you know, he's a great, great guy, great fighter. He showed that. Basically after being two sets to love down, he came back, and he really played unbelievable tennis, made so many great shots. The momentum was on his side.

So it was for me super difficult. Even if I was 2-0 up, I felt in some moments that I'm actually losing. So, yeah, I'm just happy that in the fifth set I came back and took the momentum back on my side and basically, you know, finished the match how I finished it.

Q. Three great battles in five days: Navone, de Minaur, and today. How would you describe the physical and nervous experience that you have in Paris for five days?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, like you said, it's been five days, three great fights against great players. Obviously, it's a Grand Slam, so that's how it works.

When you're going to the final rounds, it doesn't matter who is on the other side. All of them, they want to show the best tennis, even myself.

So, of course, it's super difficult in these conditions that they were last couple of days, super difficult. But obviously, even mentally on the court, like I'm saying, it's all about the momentum.

It doesn't matter if you're winning 2-0, 0-2. You know, you can be break down and still you are winning two sets to love, and still, like I'm saying, the momentum can change, and it's basically an open game.

Q. Congratulations. Czech tennis has great, great tradition. I'd like to know if there is anyone in particular in the past, even Lendl, you probably never seen him playing, but others, like Berdych or even Lehecka more recently, more of your age, more or less, or others, that inspired you or that you consider to be your idols?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, Czech tennis, we have such a great history of so many good tennis players, even men's, girls.

Yeah, obviously when I grew up, Tomas Berdych was basically the one who I was following at the most, and at that time he was actually playing. So, of course, what was in the past, past. I was not still into tennis. But, yeah, obviously I would say it was more him.

Yeah, I mean, these days, of course, I'm super happy that after Tomas, when there was not for a long time nobody, but we were struggling to have some years top, like, players in top 100 that in these days we have four, maybe five.

So it's really great to have so many opportunities and so many great guys, great Czech guys in top 100, which makes us, I would say, really good opportunities for all of us to follow each other and actually, I would say, to compete, to show what is good, what is not.

Yeah, I would say that. Thanks.