Jakub Mensik met Lionel Messi, defeated his idol Novak Djokovic in a final, and celebrated his Miami Masters 1000 title at a nightclub where rapper 50 Cent performed. It’s hard to imagine a more spectacular weekend in Miami for a 19-year-old.
Joao Fonseca won his first title in Buenos Aires in February. The next day, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro for the Rio Open, and the frenzy was immediate. Hundreds of fans crowded around the practice courts, and the main stadium was packed for his debut. Few teenage athletes spark as much excitement as the 18-year-old Brazilian.
The first part of the 2025 season is delivering a clear message: the future has arrived in men’s tennis.
Both won their first title, sealing their rise to stardom. What unites them? They have big ambitions and were not afraid to share them with CLAY.
“I want to be world No. 1 and win all four Grand Slams,” Mensik said days before heading to Miami.
“I want to be like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz,” Fonseca stated during the Wimbledon 2024 qualifiers.
Those are identical goals, practically.
Mensik is already eager to face Fonseca more often, the biggest rival of his generation. They met for the first time at the Next Gen Finals in December, and the match couldn’t have been closer—five sets under the tournament’s innovative scoring system that brings together the world’s top young players. And five tiebreaks. That showdown in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, could very well be the beginning of a rivalry to remember.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
“We played five tiebreaks! It all came down to who handled the pressure better. I’m excited to play more matches against Joao. He’s doing really well. He won his first ATP title, had a great run in Australia, and started the season winning a lot of matches. He’s on a great path, climbing the rankings quickly. It’s good to see that,” he told CLAY.
There are differences. While both Mensik and Fonseca feel comfortable in front of the microphones, the media attention and the hype surrounding their breakthroughs have been vastly different.
Their countries of origin may be a factor. Brazil, the seventh most populous country in the world, has a rich tennis history, with Gustavo Kuerten as its biggest icon—someone who captivated the masses with his talent on the court and warm personality off it. Brazil also hosts what is arguably the best ATP 500 tournament, and Fonseca represents not just his country but all of South America, a region passionate about tennis and hungry for new champions.
His charisma and image also play a key role in his influence and reach. Fonseca recently surpassed one million Instagram followers, making him the 13th most-followed active male tennis player on the platform.
Mensik himself, who had fewer than 45,000 virtual followers before playing in Miami, took it upon himself to analyze the difference: “Maybe it’s because I’m from the Czech Republic, a small country.”
The Czechs do have a long list of successful tennis players throughout the years (Jan Kodes, Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, Petra Kvitova, Tomas Berdych, and Radek Stepanek, among others), along with multiple Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup titles. However, they currently do not have any events on the calendar of the stature of the Brazilian tournament.
Despite their youth and lack of experience, Mensik and Fonseca seem unafraid of pressure.
The Brazilian, ranked 59th in the world, stated in an interview with CLAY that he has carefully worked on what it means to be the tennis player currently carrying the highest expectations.
“There are many expectations placed on me, but I try to stay focused on my routine, alongside people who contribute to my growth and will be by my side. It’s difficult, but I keep my mind fully focused on tennis; any kind of pressure motivates me,” he said.
Fonseca defeated four Argentinians on his way to the ATP 250 title in Buenos Aires. It was no easy task, considering the sports hostility between Brazil and Argentina, which was clearly visible in the stands of the Court Central Guillermo Vilas. World number two Alexander Zverev complained about how difficult it was to play there in front of the local fans. The German was overwhelmed by the pressure. Fonseca, despite having way less experience on tour, handled the pressure with ease.
The Czech, on the other hand, showed on the court that he is a different kind of player: he faced the immense challenge of having to win his first ATP tournament in a Masters 1000 final against Djokovic, who was aiming for his hundredth title. In critical moments, he brought out his best tennis, just like he had all week in Miami. Impressively, he won all seven tiebreaks he played, always against more experienced opponents.
“Do I feel like there are more expectations on me now? Yes, but that doesn’t affect me. I feel very good on the court and in the place where I want to be on tour. I’m improving, both personally and in my game. I feel confident and enjoy playing against the best players in the biggest tournaments,” the new world number 24 Mensik explained in an interview with the ATP’s official website.
