Match Report
Mensik shocks Ruud, continues #NextGenATP upsets at Australian Open
Mensik, Fonseca both upset Top 10 stars on Margaret Court Arena
January 15, 2025
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Jakub Mensik improves to 5-4 against Top 10 players.
By Sam Jacot
Jakub Mensik earned the biggest win of his career on Wednesday at the Australian Open, where he overcame World No. 6 Casper Ruud 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the third round in Melbourne for the first time.
A day after 18-year-old Joao Fonseca upset World No. 9 Andrey Rublev on Margaret Court Arena, the 19-year-old Mensik followed in the Brazilian’s footsteps by taking out a Top 10 opponent with a clean-hitting display on the same court.
The #NextGenATP Czech fired 62 winners to Ruud’s 29 and broke the Norwegian’s serve five times to improve to 5-4 against Top 10 opponents after two hours and 45 minutes.
“I feel great. It was a really tough match. Casper was playing really great and it was tough from the start,” Mensik said. “I am happy with my performances so far. I am happy I showed my best level on a big court.”
Mensik competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December and has started the 2025 season well. The 19-year-old reached the quarter-finals at ATP 250 events in Auckland and Brisbane and now has the chance to reach the fourth round at a major for the first time.
The No. 48 player in the PIF ATP Rankings advanced to the third round at the US Open in 2023 and 2024 and will aim to go one better at the AO, where he meets Adelaide champion Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round.
Ruud, a three-time major finalist, had no answer for Mensik’s bulldozing power on Margaret Court Arena in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The Norwegian is the third Top 10 player to exit this year’s event. Rublev lost to Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Fonseca on Tuesday and Grigor Dimitrov retired from his first-round clash on Monday.
Arthur Fils, another competitor at last month’s 20-and-under event, advanced to the third round in Melbourne for the first time. The 20-year-old Frenchman defeated countryman Quentin Halys 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 and will next meet Ugo Humbert.
Did You Know?
Prior to Mensik and Fonseca, the last time two teenagers beat two Top 10 players at a major was in 2006. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were the two winners on that occasion at Wimbledon.
