Czech tennis sensation Jakub Menšík storms into Roland Garros semifinals
Jakub Menšík's breakthrough season has reached another milestone. The Czech tennis star defeated Brazil's João Fonseca in straight sets to become the first Czech man in sixteen years to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros. Speaking after the match, Menšík highlighted the importance of his return game, mental strength and aggressive tactics as he prepares for a showdown with Alexander Zverev.
Jakub Menšík's remarkable rise in world tennis continues. The Czech player has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career after defeating Brazil's João Fonseca in straight sets at Roland Garros in Paris.
The victory makes Menšík the first Czech man to reach the last four at the French Open since Tomáš Berdych in 2010. He is also the first Czech male Grand Slam semifinalist since Berdych's run to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2017. For Menšík, however, the achievement was built on much more than his powerful serve.
Return game proves decisive
Standing nearly two metres tall, Menšík is widely known for one of the biggest serves on the ATP Tour. Yet against Fonseca, he believes another part of his game made the difference.
"Yes, definitely. The return was one of the main weapons, one of the key ingredients for today. I was really pleased that right from the start things were working both on my serve and on the return. I think that was one of the decisive factors in the match, and I'm very happy about that."
The Czech repeatedly put pressure on Fonseca's serve, breaking the Brazilian in the fifth game of both the first and second sets. At the same time, he was nearly untouchable on his own serve for much of the match. Even when Fonseca mounted a comeback in the third set, Menšík remained composed and eventually closed out the contest in a dramatic tie-break.
A growing mental strength
In a recent interview for Czech Radio, former world number one Mats Wilander praised Menšík's mental approach to the game. The Czech player says years of work with sports psychologist Dragan Vujović have played a major role in helping him handle pressure.
"It's definitely one of my strengths, and I'm very grateful for that. Dragan Vujović and I have been doing great work together for several years. I think the mental side of my game keeps getting better and better. The great thing is that it's something you can always improve. Even when situations are difficult, and sometimes they may look easier from the outside, I'm glad that in those key moments I'm able to turn things in my favour."
That resilience was on display throughout the tournament, particularly in the closing stages of the quarterfinal when Menšík had to fend off pressure and maintain his concentration despite several missed match points.
An aggressive game plan
The match against Fonseca was played late in the evening on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Cooler temperatures and slower court conditions required a different tactical approach. According to Menšík, one important objective was to prevent the Brazilian from dictating play.
"Yes, that was definitely part of the plan. We played late in the evening and the conditions were slower. The temperature was much lower than it had been a few days earlier. It was very important to take away some of his biggest weapons. That's why it was important for me to come forward and go to the net. The idea wasn't necessarily to shorten every point, but to play aggressively and go after my opportunities. I'm happy it worked."
The strategy paid off as Menšík frequently moved forward to finish points and kept Fonseca from finding a comfortable rhythm.
Zverev awaits
Menšík's reward is a semifinal meeting with Alexander Zverev, currently one of the strongest players on the ATP Tour and a former Roland Garros finalist. The two met recently in Madrid, where Zverev prevailed in a closely contested three-set match. Menšík believes that experience could help him in Paris.
"I'm really glad to have two days off now. They'll definitely help, both mentally and physically. I'll rest, prepare as well as I can, and then we'll see. Alex loves this tournament, it's probably one of his favourite events, so it's going to be extremely demanding. But I had the chance to play him recently in Madrid. He has a very specific style of play, something I hadn't really faced before. I'm glad I had that experience, almost like a preparation match. Now I know what to expect on Friday, and I'll prepare as well as possible and try to produce my very best tennis."
Whether Menšík can take the next step remains to be seen. But his run in Paris has already secured him a place in Czech tennis history — and suggests that the country's next great tennis star may have arrived.
