Why Jakub Mensik could have French Open favourite Alexander Zverev 'stressing' at German's do-or-die Grand Slam
Published 03/06/2026 at 08:29 GMT+1
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John McEnroe believes Alexander Zverev is standing at a crossroads, warning this year’s French Open could determine whether he becomes a multiple Grand Slam champion or never gets over the line at all.
'A lot riding on this' - McEnroe sends warning to French Open favourite Zverev
Video credit: TNT Sports
Zverev, the No. 2 seed, held his nerve to see off highly-rated Rafael Jodar on Tuesday and now finds himself the favourite to lift the title at Roland-Garros following a number of shock exits.
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both crashed out early, while the injured Carlos Alcaraz never made it to Paris.
It leaves a huge opening for Zverev, still chasing his first major at the age of 29. The German has reached three Grand Slam finals - including here in 2024 - but has yet to take the last step.
Standing in his way on Thursday is big-hitting Jakub Mensik, the 20-year-old Czech who arrives in the semi-final full of confidence after storming past fellow young gun Joao Fonseca.
”Everyone, including myself, feels he [Zverev] is going to win this,” McEnroe told TNT Sports.
”It could open the door for winning multiple ones. Or it could be the other side of the coin: if he doesn't win this, he'll never win. So there's a lot riding on this for Sasha.”
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Highlights: Mensik claims thrilling three-set victory over fellow young gun Fonseca
Video credit: TNT Sports
However, McEnroe is acutely aware of the danger Mensik poses.
”I'll tell you, he's going to be a handful for the next 10 years,” McEnroe said of Mensik.
”Zverev to me at 6ft 6in, he moves side to side - awesome. But he's not quite as good at moving forward as Mensik. He moves forward so well and he's a big guy, 6ft 5in.
”When you serve that big, it’s by far the biggest shot in the game. He’s taking the ball on and is being more aggressive.”
”He [Zverev] will start stressing because he’s still the heavy favourite but Mensik will cause some problems because if he keeps playing like he did, it will be interesting.”
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Mensik has already come through two five-set battles in Paris and was visibly struggling during the third set of his win over Fonseca on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The Czech, the youngest player from his country in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, now has just 48 hours to recover, and McEnroe believes that turnaround.
He said: ”Well, here's the good news for Mensik - he's not playing for a couple of days. And he's 20. So, it's amazing how you bounce back that quickly. So to me, that's a non-issue. It's how he handles the pressure.”
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Mensik explains how he triumphed over 'one of the greatest hitters on tour' in Fonseca
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mats Wilander was particularly impressed with Mensik’s technique, on-court intelligence and his movement.
”He’s a truly good tennis player, because he knows how to do everything,” he said.
”I did not realise before this match that he could play with so much variety, that he's so versatile, he was coming through the net and hitting these beautiful little angle volleys. Athletically, he moves incredibly well for a big guy.
”We knew the serve was a weapon, and if he kept the serve percentage as high as he did today, then the serve is a massive weapon, and I think that was the biggest difference between the two, the serve. But in general, Jakub Mensik, he's really presented himself tonight as an all-around player.
”He played with such great instinct [against Fonseca]. He came to the net when he was supposed to.
”He came at the right time. He's really shown that he knows tennis very well. His tennis IQ seems very high.”
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