Alex de Minaur was knocked out of the French Open in the third round after letting a lead slip against Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, who recovered from a disastrous first set to win 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. The match took place on Court Simonne Mathieu at Roland Garros in hot and sticky conditions.
De Minaur's Strong Start
The Australian eighth seed began the match in dominant fashion, breaking Mensik immediately and winning 16 consecutive points. He took the first set 6-0 in just 19 minutes, with Mensik committing 11 errors and winning only five points. De Minaur appeared poised to advance to the fourth round, where he would have faced Andrey Rublev.
Mensik's Remarkable Recovery
Mensik, who had collapsed on court and required a wheelchair after his five-set win over Mariano Navone two days earlier, transformed his performance after the first set. He began hitting more cleanly and moving more effectively, winning a 21-stroke rally to earn a break in the second game. His superior power and accuracy started to overwhelm de Minaur, who committed 17 errors in the second set alone.
The Czech won seven consecutive games across the second and third sets, taking the second set 6-2 and the third 6-2. De Minaur grew increasingly frustrated with his mistakes, and in the fourth set, after Mensik hit a volley to lead 4-2, de Minaur threw his racket to the ground and smashed it, earning a code violation.
Mensik Seals the Victory
Mensik continued his momentum, breaking for a 3-0 lead in the fourth set and eventually closing out the match after two hours and 25 minutes with a fierce inside-out forehand that de Minaur could not return. The victory sets up a fourth-round meeting for Mensik, while de Minaur's exit leaves Daria Kasatkina as the only Australian remaining in the singles draws. Kasatkina faces world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
