Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
French Open heat is 'insane,' Czech player says after collapsing on court
Sports • French Open
French Open heat is 'insane,' Czech player says after collapsing on court
The 26th seed Jakub Mensik collapsed after winning his match that lasted almost five hours in crippling heat on Wednesday.
Le Monde with AFP
Published today at 10:37 am (Paris), updated at 11:11 am
1 min read
Jakub Mensik said it was "insane" to play a marathon match at the French Open in temperatures above 30ºC on Wednesday, after collapsing with cramp on court immediately after securing victory over Mariano Navone. The 20-year-old needed eight match points to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13/11) after four hours and 41 minutes on court 6, completely exposed to the sun.
"It's insane to play in this weather, especially in front of the sun, to be there for more than four and a half hours, it's just insane," Mensik told reporters. "Even with the breaks, you don't have that much time, the ball boy can't bring you a towel. During the changeover you have just one minute, which obviously by when you sit, it's already just 30 seconds, so there's not much time to cool yourself down."
Mensik collapsed onto the clay straight after hitting the winning forehand. When his opponent came to greet him, he tried to get up but remained stuck on his back. The umpire waited several seconds before coming to his aid and eventually medical staff arrived to help him. "The referee today, what happened after the match, I will keep to myself, but the behavior of that... I don't respect that," he added without elaborating further.
Jakub Mensik tries to cool off while sitting between games at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on May 24, 2026. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
Mensik accepted that "rules are rules" but compared the strict regulations forcing players to play quickly compared to the speed with which umpires will halt play when a spectator is taken ill. "I was really struggling on the last point," he said. "When I hit the last point, the last winner, the emotions went out and of course my body just turned off, so at the time, I wasn't able to do anything."
{snip}
French Open heat is 'insane,' Czech player says after collapsing on court
The 26th seed Jakub Mensik collapsed after winning his match that lasted almost five hours in crippling heat on Wednesday.
Le Monde with AFP
Published today at 10:37 am (Paris), updated at 11:11 am
1 min read
Jakub Mensik said it was "insane" to play a marathon match at the French Open in temperatures above 30ºC on Wednesday, after collapsing with cramp on court immediately after securing victory over Mariano Navone. The 20-year-old needed eight match points to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13/11) after four hours and 41 minutes on court 6, completely exposed to the sun.
"It's insane to play in this weather, especially in front of the sun, to be there for more than four and a half hours, it's just insane," Mensik told reporters. "Even with the breaks, you don't have that much time, the ball boy can't bring you a towel. During the changeover you have just one minute, which obviously by when you sit, it's already just 30 seconds, so there's not much time to cool yourself down."
Mensik collapsed onto the clay straight after hitting the winning forehand. When his opponent came to greet him, he tried to get up but remained stuck on his back. The umpire waited several seconds before coming to his aid and eventually medical staff arrived to help him. "The referee today, what happened after the match, I will keep to myself, but the behavior of that... I don't respect that," he added without elaborating further.
Jakub Mensik tries to cool off while sitting between games at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on May 24, 2026. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
Mensik accepted that "rules are rules" but compared the strict regulations forcing players to play quickly compared to the speed with which umpires will halt play when a spectator is taken ill. "I was really struggling on the last point," he said. "When I hit the last point, the last winner, the emotions went out and of course my body just turned off, so at the time, I wasn't able to do anything."
{snip}