French Open: Mensik Stops Crowd Favorite Fonseca, Meets Zverev in Semifinals

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik has advanced to the French Open semifinals after defeating Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. Mensik, 20, will now face German favorite Alexander Zverev in the first men's singles semifinal.

Mensik secured his victory over the 19-year-old Fonseca in three sets, with a final score of 6:4, 6:3, 7:6(3), after a grueling 2-hour and 44-minute battle. Fonseca, who had previously eliminated Novak Djokovic, struggled against Mensik's strong play for the first two sets. However, Mensik appeared to sustain a hip or gluteal injury in the third set, which allowed Fonseca to break his serve and mount a comeback.

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I was down breaks, but I stayed focused. I'm glad I could decide it for myself.

Despite the apparent injury, Mensik managed to recover the break and later came back from a 3:5 deficit in the third set. He forced a tiebreak, where he ultimately prevailed, converting his seventh match point. "I was down breaks, but I stayed focused. I'm glad I could decide it for myself," Mensik stated after the match.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev, the tournament's second seed, comfortably defeated 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7:6(3), 6:1, 6:3. This marks Zverev's fifth appearance in the Roland Garros semifinals. He reached the final in 2024, losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Zverev is now considered a top contender for the title following the tournament's progression. "I want to win the matches in front of me – that's my goal," Zverev said, looking ahead to his semifinal clash with Mensik.

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I want to win the matches in front of me – that's my goal.