Alex de Minaur crashed out of the French Open on Saturday, losing to Jakub Mensik in the third round. The Australian tennis star won the first set 6-0 but failed to capitalize on his advantage.
What happened?
Mensik, who had collapsed on court just two days earlier, made a remarkable recovery to win the next three sets 6-2 6-2 6-3. De Minaur was left feeling "gutted" and "back to the drawing board".
Why it matters for Alex de Minaur
The defeat is a significant blow to de Minaur's grand slam ambitions, particularly given the earlier exits of top seeds Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. De Minaur had been hoping to take advantage of the open draw but ultimately fell short.
What comes next?
De Minaur will now regroup and reassess his strategy after the disappointing loss. He had been in good form coming into the tournament, but his inability to close out the match against Mensik will be a concern.
The match was played in hot and sticky conditions on Court Simonne Mathieu, which should have favored de Minaur. However, Mensik's superior power and accuracy ultimately told, as he broke de Minaur's serve seven times in a row across the second and third sets.
De Minaur's frustration was evident as he hurled his racquet into the clay and smashed it, earning a code violation. The Australian's usual resilience and determination were not enough to overcome Mensik's impressive comeback.
On Wednesday, Mensik had needed to be taken to the medical center in a wheelchair after his four-hour 41-minute epic win over Mariano Navone. But he showed no signs of fatigue against de Minaur, winning 11 of the last 12 games to seal the victory.
The defeat will be a tough pill for de Minaur to swallow, given his high expectations coming into the tournament. He will now look to bounce back and regain his form in time for the next grand slam event.
De Minaur's loss is a significant setback for Australian tennis, which had been hoping for a deep run in the French Open. However, the 24-year-old will look to learn from his mistakes and come back stronger in the future.
The French Open continues to throw up surprises, with several top seeds already eliminated from the tournament. De Minaur's defeat is just the latest in a series of upsets that have characterized the event so far.
As de Minaur reflected on his loss, he couldn't help but feel that he had wasted a golden opportunity. With Sinner and Djokovic already out of the tournament, the draw had opened up for de Minaur to make a deep run. But his failure to capitalize on his advantage against Mensik will haunt him for some time to come.
The Australian's next move will be closely watched, as he looks to regroup and refocus ahead of the next grand slam event. For now, though, he will have to lick his wounds and wonder what might have been.
De Minaur's defeat serves as a reminder that grand slam tennis is a cruel and unforgiving sport. One minute you're on top of the world, the next you're crashing out of the tournament. But de Minaur is a resilient and determined player, and he will be back, hungrier than ever for success.
The question on everyone's lips now is: what's next for Alex de Minaur? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure - he will be back, and he will be ready to fight for every point.