Xplorich
Jakub Mensik’s dream run at the French Open has come with plenty of physical challenges, and the toll of the tournament was on full display after his quarter-final victory over Joao Fonseca. The 20-year-old Czech player suffered a painful cramp during his post-match press conference, forcing him to briefly pause while answering questions.The awkward moment came as Mensik discussed his relationship with Novak Djokovic. Feeling a sudden cramp in his leg, he stopped and said, “Sorry,” before laughing and continuing the conversation. Mensik later revealed that he experienced discomfort in his left leg during his straight-sets win over Fonseca. The issue began late in the second set and affected his movement and serve.“Yeah, I mean, first two sets I was controlling the game pretty well,” Mensik said.“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.Watch:“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.”The youngster added that the pain eased as the match progressed, allowing him to regain control and finish strongly.Mensik has already dealt with physical issues earlier in the tournament and even struggled to walk after his second-round win over Mariano Navone in the Paris heat. Despite those concerns, he has continued to find ways to win and has now reached his first French Open semi-final.Next up is a huge clash against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev. The German beat Mensik at the Madrid Open earlier this year, but the Czech believes circumstances are different this time.“Before Roland-Garros I was finally healthy. I already managed all the things that I needed to do.”“Yeah, as the tournament is going, I’m playing better and better.”“Right now it’s some different situation. Of course, semi-finals. I would say bigger match, best-of-five. I mean, yeah, I’m excited for the challenge.”
