By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty
Hall of Famer boxer and dedicated tennis player Sugar Ray Leonard famously described his adopted sport as “boxing without violence”.
Boxing is a blood sport.
Talented teenagers are turning tennis into a youth blood sport this Australian Open.
Nineteen years old Jakub Mensik beat 62 winners to shock sixth place Casper Ruud 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the third round of the Australian Open for the first time.
Two of the biggest concerns in this AO concern teenagers.
Mensik’s safe dismissal of former US Open finalist Ruud comes a day after the 18-year-old Brazilian sensation. João Fonseca eased past ninth seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5) in his main draw debut. Fonseca bowled 51 winners in that match.
Already one of the tournament’s greatest players, Mensik improved his record against Top 10 opposition to 5-4 by reaching a Grand Slam third round for the third time.
Nineteen year old American Your student competes to become the third teenager to reach the third round this week when he plays the fifth seed Daniel Medvedev at Margaret Court Arena on Thursday.
The results indicate that this AO may belong to the young blood, Mensik said.
“All the young players who play here, even those who are not here, they try their best to reach the same level,” Mensik told the media in Melbourne. “For example, like Jannik and Carlos, they were a few years ago, two years ago still teenagers. Obviously, you know, it’s not our opportunity, but we can approach them all the same and walk in their footsteps and try to reach the same level, compete against them.
“At least I have one. I might really be able to try to reach the same level, keep improving. It’s good that there is always new blood.
“We can see that tennis is moving forward. We may see different or new names in the tournament. For the fans, for the tennis, for everything, it’s really great. That’s it. New blood is coming.”
Why now?
World No.48 Mensik said the fact the teenagers all played in the ATP Next Gen Finals last December gave them more match preparation and tournament rigor ahead of Melbourne.
Fonseca defeated Mensik to win the Blue Group in Jeddah before defeating Tien in the ATP Finals Next Gen title match. American Alex Michelsen also played the Next Gen ATP Finals and chased it down 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in his AO opener.
“The time for the finale of the next generation was before Christmas. Everyone was still in the pre-season,” said Mensik. “We were already playing, we had a few games before the start of the season. I mean, it helps us a lot, I think.
“I mean, because all of us play really great games. Also in the preparatory tournaments, we were very good. This is the most important thing at the beginning of the season to have the matches counted and to come to the Grand Slam with you having played a few matches before.”
The 6’4″ Mensik will look to continue his streak against Spain Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a trip to the first round of his fourth Grand Slam.
