De Minaur Falls to Mensik in Third Round at Roland Garros
Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur was eliminated from the French Open after surrendering a strong start against Czech opponent Jakub Mensik. The match concluded with Mensik defeating de Minaur 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the third round, ending the campaign of the No. 8 seed who had a significant opportunity to advance further in Paris.
Mensik, who had endured a grueling four-hour and 41-minute match against Mariano Navone the previous day—during which he collapsed on court and required a wheelchair to reach the medical centre—delivered an impressive performance. After a difficult first set, Mensik rebounded strongly to dominate the remainder of the match.
The match took place on the clay surface of Court Simonne Mathieu at Roland Garros, where the hot and humid conditions were expected to favor de Minaur. Despite concerns about Mensik’s physical condition following his prior match, the Czech player appeared comfortable and resilient on court.
De Minaur began the match with intensity, quickly breaking Mensik’s serve and winning the first set decisively in just 19 minutes without dropping a game. He won 16 consecutive points early on, capitalizing on 11 errors from Mensik, who managed only five points in the set.
At this stage, anticipation grew around the potential for de Minaur to face Andrey Rublev in the last 16, given his dominant performance.
However, Mensik returned from the changeover revitalized, displaying improved shot-making and court coverage. He secured a break in the second game of the second set with a notable 21-stroke rally and began to exert pressure on de Minaur with superior power and accuracy.
De Minaur, who had been nearly flawless in the opening set, started to commit uncharacteristic errors, totaling 17 in the second set. Mensik won seven consecutive games across the second and third sets, demonstrating control and confidence.
Mensik, notably the last player to defeat Jannik Sinner before Sinner’s exit to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at this tournament, continued his momentum by winning five straight games in the third set and establishing a 3-0 lead in the fourth.
As the match slipped away, de Minaur showed visible frustration, smashing his racket into the clay and receiving a code violation after Mensik executed a decisive volley at 4-2 in the fourth set.
Mensik soon closed out the match after two hours and 25 minutes, with de Minaur unable to return a powerful inside-out forehand. This result leaves Daria Kasatkina as the only Australian remaining in the singles draws at Roland Garros.
Kasatkina faces a challenging next round against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where she will attempt to maintain Australian representation in the tournament.
