Watch: Jakub Menšík got painful cramps while pressing after the quarter-final victory at the French Open 2026

Jakub Menšík suffers from painful cramps (Screengrab) Jakub Menšík’s dream run at the French Open came with plenty of physical challenges, and the tournament’s toll was fully apparent after his quarter-final win over Joao Fonseca. The 20-year-old Czech player suffered a painful cramp at the post-match press conference, which forced him to take a short break from answering questions.An awkward moment occurred when Menšík discussed his relationship with Novak Djokovic. Feeling a sudden cramp in his leg, he stopped and said, “Sorry,” before laughing and continuing the conversation. Mensik later revealed that he experienced discomfort in his left leg during the straight sets win over Fonseca. The problem started late in the second set and affected his movement and serve.“Yeah, I think I controlled the game pretty well the first two sets,” Menšík said.“Unfortunately, at the end of the second set, I started to feel discomfort in my left leg, which irritated me when serving.Watch:“So I guess of course I was worried, what is it? Luckily it was just a strained muscle. That gave me a bit of focus.”The youngster added that the pain subsided as the match progressed, allowing him to regain control and finish strongly.The minor had already dealt with physical problems earlier in the tournament, struggling to walk after his second-round win over Mariano Navon in the heat of Paris. Despite these concerns, he still found ways to win and has now reached his first French Open semi-final.Next up is a huge clash with world number three Alexander Zverev. The German beat Menšík at the Madrid Open earlier this year, but the Czech believes the circumstances are different this time around.“Before Roland-Garros I was finally healthy. I had already done all the things I needed to do.”“Yeah, as the tournament goes on, I’m playing better and better.“It’s a little different situation right now. Obviously, the semi-finals. I’d say the bigger game, the best of five. I mean, yeah, I’m excited about the challenge.”