Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are already starting to influence the next generation of tennis players with their performances on the grand stages, a fact quickly recognized by Jakub Mensik.
During a post-match press conference at the Qatar Open, Mensik highlighted his awareness of Alcaraz, who is only a couple of years older than him, making significant strides on the professional tour while Mensik himself was still competing in junior events.
Reflecting on the 2021 US Open, Mensik expressed his admiration for Alcaraz’s progress, noting that while he was still competing in the boys’ singles, Alcaraz had already advanced to the fourth round against seasoned professionals.
“I remember him that I was in the junior US Open, and he already reached the fourth round there, and he still could compete with the juniors but he was already competing with the pros in those days,” Mensik recalled.
Mensik further remarked that he found inspiration in Alcaraz and others like him, expressing his aspiration to compete against them at the highest level of the game in the years to come.
“So, yeah, it’s really great that I saw these guys in also in the young age,” Mensik commented. “The improvement, how the improvement went. So for me it’s a big inspiration, for sure, and for the future I will be happy if I can be on the top with them.”
