Like a quad shot of espresso, New York City infuses spiritually aligned inhabitants with the type of buzz that inspires greatness.
Count 18-year-old Jakub Mensik among the energized. Ever since the man who is currently the youngest player in the ATP’s Top 100 made his US Open debut as a bright-eyed 17-year-old last year, the Prostejov native has proven adept at finding his New York groove. Mensik qualified for the main draw and went on to reach the third round in 2023, becoming the youngest male player to progress that far in Queens since France’s Fabrice Santoro in 1990.
This year Mensik, in his first full season on the ATP Tour, is back to prove it was no fluke.
So far, so good.
Mensik ripped past 19th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in his first-round match on Tuesday, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. The Czech won 39 of 44 first-serve points to earn his first Top 20 win at a major, dispatching the former World No. 6 from Montreal in just over two hours.
He will face Australian wild card Tristan Schoolkate in the second round.
A small sample size, indeed, but in his first five main draw matches at the Open, 6-foot-4 Mensik has demonstrated a brand of high-octane tennis that could make him a fan favorite–and a menace to his peers–in Flushing Meadows for years to come.
“I like the vibe of New York City. Of course the crowd is always something special when you play in the US in front of this crazy and pumped-up crowd.”
Putting wind in Mensik’s sails is the fact that he embraces the New York experience. Some players never figure out how to thrive in the chaos that characterizes the US Open fortnight. They are shrinking violets that shrivel in the New York swelter. Mensik, on the other hand, has embraced NYC’s hustle and bustle mentality from the start.
“It’s because of the vibe,” he explains of his early success at the tournament. “I like the vibe of New York City. Of course the crowd is always something special when you play in the US in front of this crazy and pumped-up crowd.”
To be fair, he plays well everywhere.
Mensik kicked off his 2024 campaign with a bang at Doha, earning his first Top 5 win over Andrey Rublev and becoming the youngest finalist in tournament history. That effort secured his Top 100 debut on Feb. 26. Two months later he notched his first career Top 10 win on clay, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in Madrid.
In eight months’ time he has risen from 142 in the ATP rankings, all the way to his current perch at No.65.
There have been bumps along the road as well. Mensik suffered an elbow injury this spring and was forced to miss the French Open. Rather than panic over the situation, he decided to take the time to finish his schooling.
“At that time I was really nervous, not happy,” Mensik recalls. “I think that we made a good decision [to] stay focused on school at that time and just skip Roland Garros. Of course it was a difficult decision, but I have to say now that it was a really good decision.”
School went well, the elbow healed, and now Mensik is back on the fast track to success.
“After that I was much happier to play pain-free–with straight A’s,” he says with a smile. “That was the biggest success this season, because if I was injured for a long time that would not be good for my tennis.”
In his first full season as a professional Mensik is willing to accept the fact that setbacks are part of the fun. More important: there are lessons in every loss.
He may not turn 19 until Sept. 3, but don’t be fooled: Mensik is wise beyond his years.
"Without losses there are no victories."
“If I win, I win; if I lose, I lose,” Mensik continues. “It doesn’t matter. Without losses there are no victories. That’s my motto and I know that after every loss I have to keep working, keep staying focused because at the end of the tournament there can only be one winner.
“I realized that, and that’s why I am trying to show my best performance. Sometimes it is better, sometimes it is not. That’s how it works.”
