Mensik: I Showed the Best That is in Me

Despite a disappointing loss to Alexander Zverev in Friday’s semifinals at Roland Garros, 20-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik is taking plenty of positives into the rest of the season. 

He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal and semifinal, and proved to be a beast in long matches, despite severe physical difficulties. 

Remember this was a player that could not get up off the clay after his dramatic second-round win over Mariano Navone in a fifth-set tiebreak. Many thought he’d have nothing left after that four hour and 41-minute battle in extreme heat, but Mensik went on to notch three more wins, over Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev (again in five sets) and Joao Fonseca to reach his maiden Slam semifinal. 

On Friday he said he couldn’t really figure out how to attack Zverev. 

“It was really tough for me to find it today,” Mensik told reporters after the four-set loss. “With the right shot selection or to play the tactic – for example serve and volley or a lot of dropshots –  at the right moments, of course there were a lot of situations where those points won me a lot of games.” 

It felt like Mensik was in too much haste to shorten points with drop shots, and he did seem reluctant to play backhand to backhand rallies with Zverev. In one case, it makes sense to try to play into Zverev’s forehand, but Mensik seemed to leave bullets in his holster by not trying to dictate more with his lethal backhand cross. 

“Unfortunately, some of [my tactics] didn’t go that well,” he said. “If it would be tomorrow, after tomorrow, and I would play the same, maybe with the better shot selection, I could be the one who could win it.” 

Despite the tough loss, Mensik comes away with a new sense of belief after his breakout performance. The 20-year-old will move on with the knowledge that he can last in a major under extreme physical duress. Not many players come to that realization at such a young age. 

“Super happy that I could reach the semifinals and that I could beat a lot of top players,” said the 20-year-old. “There were a lot of tough moments where it was basically already done for me. But I stood up and I kept fighting, and I found a way to win.

“When the momentum was on my side and I was in a good shape and I was really up in my game, I showed the best that is in me.”

“I’m happy that I managed it quite well and I will take it as a great, great tournament.”