Subsequent Gen ATP Finals
Set to take flight in Jeddah, Mensik remembers childhood airport mishap
Czech primed for Jeddah debut
December 17, 2024

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Jakub Mensik opens his Jeddah marketing campaign Wednesday in opposition to Learner Tien.
By ATP Employees
Jakub Mensik earned his debut on the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals offered by PIF with a breakout season that included 4 High 10 wins. One in every of 4 Jeddah opponents contained in the High 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings — alongside Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen and Shang Juncheng — Mensik knew earlier than the 2024 season began that he wished to finish it on the 20-and-under showcase occasion.
“It was one among my greatest objectives to achieve this occasion earlier than the season,” he mentioned this week. “I am glad to be right here. Up to now it is wonderful, the amenities and every thing that they did for us. You may really feel actually that you simply’re among the best youthful gamers on the earth.”
All through his rise, Mensik has at all times been capable of rely on the unwavering assist of his mother and father, Michal and Katerina. Each his mother and father are in Jeddah, and so they have frequently travelled with Mensik since his junior tennis days.
The household are frequent flyers now, however they recalled an airport mishap years in the past, lengthy earlier than Mensik grew accustomed to the nomadic life. When he was 9, the household was ready at baggage declare when Mensik turned distracted by a cat. After going over to research, he misplaced observe of his mother and father, who left the luggage space earlier than realising their son had gone lacking.
Mensik remembers a scary wait till his father returned: “From nowhere, my dad appeared after 30, 45 minutes, and every thing was good,” he mentioned with fun.
It will likely be laborious to lose sight of Mensik this week as he competes beneath the highlight of the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals offered by PIF.
Whereas Mensik exceeded all outdoors expectations this yr on the ATP Tour, the 19-year-old isn’t placing himself beneath any undue strain in Jeddah. Because the third seed, he’ll open his marketing campaign in opposition to Learner Tien on Wednesday.
“I by no means have expectations,” he defined. “Clearly simply to get pleasure from this lovely match. In fact I might be comfortable to win a few matches and naturally I am going right here to win it.”
Mensik took an identical method at his first ATP Tour match this February in Doha, the place he beat Andrey Rublev en path to the ultimate. He additionally beat Rublev on his technique to the quarter-finals on the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the place he pushed his idol Novak Djokovic to 3 units. Mensik lists these two weeks because the highlights of his yr, together with representing Czechia on the Olympics and Davis Cup.
He’ll hope to finish his 2024 marketing campaign with one other week to recollect in Jeddah.