The French Open semifinal between Alexander Zverev and Jakub Mensik was already packed with pressure. But one unexpected move by the 20-year-old ATP star managed to steal the spotlight even before the first serve. As fans and analysts scrambled to make sense of the decision, Andre Agassi, who has seen nearly everything tennis has to offer, gave a candid take that quickly turned heads.

“I’m not a big fan of bringing in a mental coach in the semifinals of a slam,” said Agassi on a live TNT Sports broadcast before the match against Zverev. “You’re supposed to bring in your mom at that stage. Like, ‘Come on, Mom, come with us. You got to come, watch me play the semis.’ But bringing in a mental coach. I don’t know; it seems like there’s only downside for that mental coach.”

Before Mensik’s semifinal match against Alexander Zverev, he flew out his mental coach, Dragan Vujovic, to join his player box in Paris. It’s been seven years since the 20-year-old rising star started working with Vujovic. Hence, there was a sense of confidence in the mental coach to help him out ahead of his career-best grand slam match. With a win, Mensik would have also become the youngest Roland Garros finalist since Rafael Nadal in 2005.

However, questions were raised, and criticisms were made around Mensik’s bold choice to include a mental coach before the semifinals. In the 2026 French Open, Mensik was on a promising run after beating standouts like Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur to reach the last-four stage. While Mensik’s intention may have been to gain additional support for the match against Zverev, people like Agassi felt it was unnecessary to shake things up right before the crucial match.

Even former tennis star Sam Querrey felt the same. Considering Mensik’s “flawless” mentality to edge out two five-setters and three four-setters, the help of a mental coach for the semifinals wasn’t much needed. But this also raises the question about any potential complications on Mensik’s mental health due to pressure matchups?

Historically, the 20-year-old ATP Pro was never linked to having mental struggles. Instead, he was always deemed as someone to have a positive outlook if any pressure befalls him.

“When I am nervous, I feel butterflies in my stomach, and my mind feels a bit scattered, as if I am in many places at once and not exactly in the present moment,” said Mensik after his third-round win against de Minaur. “But I have learned to manage those situations, to try to stay calm. And to remain in the present as much as possible. Actually, when I am nervous, I consider it a good sign.”

When he faced the challenge of the World No. 3, Jakub Mensik struggled to find his rhythm. Paving the way for Zverev, one of the favorites to win the 2026 French Open, took control and defeated the Czech in four sets, 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. While the result suggested that the mental coaching had little immediate impact, the approach has delivered clear benefits for several top players in similar moments.

For instance, take the partnership between Iga Swiatek and her mental coach Daria Abramowicz. Swiatek began working with Abramowicz when she was 17, and over the years, they have developed a strong camaraderie. A standout moment in their collaboration was when Swiatek won her first French Open title in 2020. She credited her mental coach for helping her prepare to perform under pressure during the tournament.

Considering this, did Mensik’s decision to rope in a mental coach deserve criticism? The opinion can be subjective here. But the 20-year-old was well aware of the reasons behind his semifinal exit.

Jakub Mensik reflects on what actually went wrong for him at Roland Garros

The Czech had his chances in his opening set. They were 5-5 at one point. But Alexander Zverev did not miss out on capitalizing on someone who was serving under pressure. The World No. 3 exploited that weakness to break Mensik’s confidence early. Continuing the momentum, Zverev just took away the second set (6-2) in around 30 minutes.

During the post-match press conference, the 20-year-old ATP Pro acknowledged the fact that Zverev dictates and controls the pace of the match.

“First two sets, it was really tough for me,” said Mensik. “Like I said, to find the rhythm, to find myself on the court. Physically and mentally, as well. Sascha is a guy who is not giving you any rhythm so long between the rallies. I struggled to find the great rhythm. And to find my zone, which I couldn’t do in those two sets, which obviously leads to a little bit drop of energy.”

So, amid the chaos and questions around Mensik’s mentality for the semifinals, it was Zverev’s technical prowess that became the differentiating factor between the two. Of course, why wouldn’t it? The German star stands as a much more experienced campaigner. With that, Mensik’s dream French Open run ended yesterday. Meanwhile, Zverev advanced to the final to face No. 10 seed Flavio Cobolli.