Zverev reaches French Open semi-finals as Mensik stops Fonseca

PARIS: Alexander Zverev moved into the French Open semi-finals on Tuesday with a straight-sets win over Rafael Jodar, while Jakub Mensik ended Joao Fonseca's run to set up a last-four meeting with the German.

Zverev, the highest-ranked player still left in the men's draw, beat Spanish teenager Jodar 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 29-year-old remains in contention for a first Grand Slam title after finishing runner-up three times, including at Roland Garros in 2024. He has now reached the semi-finals in Paris for the fifth time in six years and has dropped only one set on the way to the last four.

Speaking after the match, Zverev said:

I want to win the matches that are ahead of me, that is my goal, that is my aim.

He added:

I'm happy to be in the semi-finals, for now.

Jodar, 19, was playing only the second major of his career. The Spaniard had impressed on his Roland Garros debut, but appeared to feel the effects of back-to-back five-set matches. He led 5-2 in the opening set before Zverev recovered. The teenager was ranked 707th in the world at the same time last year.

In the other men's quarter-final on Tuesday, Mensik beat Brazil's Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in the night session. The 20-year-old Czech extended the best Grand Slam run of his career, although he needed seven match points to finish off the contest.

Mensik said after the victory:

It was one of my best performances so far.

He added:

I knew it was going to be a tough one.

The meeting between Mensik and Fonseca, who is 19, was the youngest men's quarter-final at Roland Garros since Rafael Nadal, then 20, defeated Novak Djokovic, then 19, in 2006. Fonseca had produced notable wins over Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud during the tournament, but was unable to maintain that level against Mensik.

Fonseca said his run in Paris had still given him encouragement after arriving with a wrist problem before Roland Garros.

Coming from a little injury and not having any expectation for this tournament and doing a great run... it's a positive week.

He added:

This tournament gives me more conviction and more confidence to keep going.

Women's semi-finals set

On the women's side, Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva will meet on Thursday for a place in the final. Kostyuk came through the first all-Ukrainian women's quarter-final at a Grand Slam in the Open era by defeating Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

The 23-year-old Kostyuk stretched her unbeaten run on clay this season to 17 matches and reached her first Grand Slam semi-final. She said after the match:

I'm very happy I found a way. It was very difficult in the first two sets.

Kostyuk dedicated the win to Ukraine after the country was struck by hundreds of Russian drones and dozens of missiles early Tuesday, an attack that killed at least 23 people.

We had another difficult night in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv where so many people died, so I want to give this match to Ukraine.

Svitolina, 31, lost in the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the sixth time. It remains the only major where she has not reached the semi-finals. Kostyuk, who has been outspoken in support of Ukraine during the war with Russia, will next face Russian teenager Andreeva, whom she beat in the Madrid Open final last month.

Asked about the matchup, Kostyuk said:

I usually never care who is on the other side of the net. I'm there to play tennis and do my job, and that's it.

Andreeva advanced with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Romania's Sorana Cirstea in less than an hour. The eighth seed reached her second French Open semi-final, while 36-year-old Cirstea was appearing in the last eight in Paris for the first time since 2009 and plans to retire at the end of the season.

Andreeva said:

I'm super happy that I'm going to be playing in semis again.

She added:

I felt like it was one of my best matches so far this tournament.

After her 2025 quarter-final defeat to French outsider Lois Boisson, Andreeva said the return to similar conditions in Paris brought back memories as rain and strong winds followed last week's heatwave.

I was just trying to have flashbacks only about the weather and only about the court with closed roof, not about how I played. I'm happy that I could turn it around.