Jakub Mensik has labelled the extreme heat at the French Open 'insane' after collapsing on court following his dramatic five-set victory over Mariano Navone. The 26th seed required a wheelchair to leave the court after suffering full-body cramps at the end of a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (11) second-round win that lasted over four and a half hours.
Mensik, who led by two sets to one before his condition deteriorated, said the heat made it impossible to stay hydrated. 'It's insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun,' he said. 'You have just one minute [at changeovers], which obviously before, when you sit, it's already just 30 seconds. So there is not that much time to cool yourself down.'
The 18-year-old Czech also criticised the strict enforcement of time rules, saying he received a warning and lost his first serve because he needed extra time. 'Normally when a spectator will watch, he will be like: OK, give him mercy, five more seconds, 10 more seconds, which obviously I didn't have,' he added.
Novak Djokovic, who overcame Valentin Royer in four sets, echoed concerns about the conditions. 'Very challenging conditions,' said the 39-year-old Serb. 'Is that ideal to go over midnight? Yeah, it's not. But if you have certain days that you have extreme heat and conditions, then maybe that's something to consider.'
Mensik is not alone in struggling; Casper Ruud also battled heat illness in his first-round match. Despite his ordeal, Mensik said he would be ready for his third-round clash against eighth seed Alex de Minaur on Friday.
