Jakub Mensik Speaks His Mind About Jannik Sinner

Jakub Mensik takes on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz: the 21-year-old Czech is continuing his upward trajectory in 2026. In March, he reached No. 12 in the ATP rankings for the first time; at Roland Garros, he advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal, while in Auckland he claimed his second career ATP title.

His goal is to keep improving so he can challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz: “I have this mindset, and ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to win Grand Slams and give it my best shot. When Carlos and Jannik are in top form, it’s really tough to face them, but now that I’m in the top 20, I’m getting a little closer step by step; I’m trying to follow in their footsteps and emulate the work they’re doing,” he told the ATP Tour’s YouTube channel.

In Doha, Mensik defeated Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals in three sets—a victory that gave him great confidence in his abilities. “I proved to myself that I can play against them. He was healthy—he certainly didn’t play his best match… but I had the feeling that if I were in top form, I could beat them both. It was one of the best matches of my young career. I felt really good on the court, and it made me feel like I’m on the right track.”

Mensik managed to beat his nemesis Alex De Minaur at Roland Garros after losing his first five matches against the Australian: “When I see in the draw that I’m going up against Alex, I think, ‘Okay, man, this is going to be really tough.’ I need to work even harder on my style of play to improve.”