Jakub Mensik’s superb season on the ATP Tour earned him a well-deserved place inside the top 20 of the rankings.
The Czechia star claimed his first ATP title in style by defeating Novak Djokovic to lift the Miami Open in March.
Mensik’s Masters record rivals Andy Murray and Djokovic and he’s more than proved that he belongs at the very top of the rankings.
The star was scheduled to play the NextGen Finals this month, but he’s made a last-minute U-turn on the tournament.
Jakub Mensik drops out of the ATP NextGen Finals
Eyebrows were raised when Mensik confirmed his place at the ATP NextGen Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The tournament is open to the highest-ranked players aged 21 and younger, but it’s considered an event exclusively for players who are yet to break through onto the ATP Tour.
Mensik announced his participation alongside Learner Tien, Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, Martin Landaluce, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Nishesh Basavareddy, and Rafael Jodar.
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However, the Czechia star has now confirmed he will not play the tournament that he played for the first time in 2024.
Mensik will be replaced by Justin Engel, who is currently ranked World No. 187 after a year which brought him his first Challenger circuit.
Why Jakub Mensik has made the right decision
Mensik might have achieved a landmark season in 2025, but there was one clear issue that the rising star needs to iron out.
The Czechia star looked severely burned out towards the end of the season and he ended the season with two retirements and a walkover.
Mensik couldn’t compete against Joao Fonseca at the Swiss Indoors and he also retired mid-match against Luca Nardi in Cincinnati and Alex de Minaur in Beijing.
Playing the NextGen Finals so close to the new season could have jeopardised his appearance at the Australian Open.
As a fully-fledged member of the ATP Tour top 20, Mensik needs to start being more selective about his tournaments and this was a very good decision.
