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Jakub Mensik collapsed on court after a draining five-set win at Roland Garros, with the Czech star battling cramps and possible heat exhaustion in brutal Paris heat.
Jakub Mensik collapsed on the court after his win (Screengrabs from X)
Jakub Mensik pushed himself to the absolute limit at Roland Garros on Wednesday before collapsing on the clay after one of the most exhausting matches of his young career.
The 20-year-old Czech survived a brutal five-set battle against Argentina’s Mariano Navone, winning 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(11) after four hours and 41 minutes in suffocating Paris heat.
But moments after sealing victory in the deciding-set tie-break, Mensik crumpled to the court in alarming scenes at Roland Garros.
Clearly drained physically, the world No. 26 lay motionless on the clay as Navone walked over to shake his hand before the chair umpire and tournament staff rushed to check on him.
Mensik appeared to be suffering severe leg cramps and possible heat exhaustion after enduring nearly five hours under blazing 32-degree conditions. At one point he briefly sat up, grimaced in pain, and immediately dropped back down while signalling for medical attention.
Physios and medical staff eventually arrived on court and treated him with ice packs while he remained grounded for close to 10 minutes.
Mensik couldn’t move after the match. Why are they making them play in such extreme hot weather conditions?They are humans not machine.pic.twitter.com/8SyTTGVPxG
— Rishi Kumar 🇮🇳 (@rishi45kumar) May 27, 2026
The Czech star was later helped to his feet, though notably refused the wheelchair offered to him by tournament staff. Covered in clay and visibly exhausted, Mensik slowly walked off court under his own power to a loud ovation from the crowd.
After the match, Mensik admitted the extreme conditions had pushed his body beyond its limit.
“It’s insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun,” Mensik said.
“To be there for more than four and a half hours, that’s just insane, and even with the breaks you don’t have that much time. The ballboy cannot bring you a towel during the changeover. You have just one minute, which obviously before, when you sit, it’s already just 30 seconds. So there is not that much time to cool yourself down.”
Mensik added that the heat eventually left him unable to properly hydrate.
As temperatures soared, he said he began feeling sick on court and struggled to consume enough water and electrolytes, causing his body to shut down late in the match.
Mensik now faces a race against time to recover before his third-round clash against Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Friday.
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