20-year-old Jakub Mensik has himself (and Czech tennis) on the climb.

In our ‘Jakub’s Ladder’ issue:
🎙️ Exclusive Q&A with Jakub Mensik
👋 Mahut says farewell in Paris
😮 Cousins clash, parts 1 and 2

‘WHERE THERE’S LOVE, THERE’S PASSION’

Jakub Mensik wasn’t even going to play the 2025 Miami Open presented by Itaú.

Two days before his first-round match, the 6-foot-5 baseliner from Prostějov, Czechia began experiencing some serious discomfort in his right knee. It got so bad that Mensik says he could barely walk, let alone cover the court on the run. He checked in with a few doctors, even tried painkillers, but nothing seemed to help.

“I couldn’t move,” he confided.

So off Mensik went to announce his withdrawal due to injury, a moment every player dreads. But as fate would have it, the tournament referee was out to lunch. To kill some time, he stopped in to see the physio, who convinced him to give the treadmill one last shot. Only 30 minutes before his opener against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, Mensik opted to play, to push through the pain. It’s a decision that would change his career.

The then-19-year-old promptly reeled off seven straight victories, three of them over Top 10 opponents, to claim his maiden tour-level title, one that came at the ATP Masters 1000 level. 

“Crazy, huh?” he observed.

Mensik climbed to a career-high in the PIF ATP Rankings, joining countrymen Tomas Machac and Jiri Lehecka in the Top 30. Czechia has long been a tennis-rich nation, the men’s side boasting everyone from Jan Kodes and Ivan Lendl to Petr Korda and Tomas Berdych. But this feels like a real revival.

“For the first time in a long time, we have a bunch of good young players,” Mensik told ATP Tour Insider. “We’ve known each other from a very young age. It’s great that we can push each other forward. Jiri and Tomas are doing great. I was always the guy who was behind them in the shadows. Now I’m following in their footsteps. That’s good — not just for me, but for all of Czech tennis.” 🎾 — By Richard Osborn

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

That the Rolex Shanghai Masters would come down to a pair of first-time ATP Masters 1000 finalists who just so happen to be cousins and former college teammates sounds a tad far-fetched.

But that’s just how it went this month at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center, where No. 204-ranked qualifier Valentin Vacherot became the lowest-ranked champion in 1000-level history, stunning the Top 20 likes of Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic before besting his relative Arthur Rinderknech in the title match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“I have no idea what is happening right now. I am not even dreaming, it is just crazy,” said Vacherot, who came into the tournament with just one tour-level victory to his name, and in the second round of qualifying was just two points from defeat. “I am just so happy with my performances the past two weeks. I just want to thank everyone who has helped with my career since the beginning. There has to be one loser but I think there [are] two winners today, one family that won. And I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal.”

As fate would have it, they would meet again at the Rolex Paris Masters, with Vacherot again prevailing in three sets, 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, in the second round.

🏆 AND THEN THERE WERE 10: Marking the first-ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in the ATP Tour’s 35-year history, Saudi Arabia will become the 10th 1000-level host beginning as early as 2028.

🕊️ IN MEMORIAM: The tennis world paused to remember the life of John Beddington, who dedicated himself to the growth of the sport as an administrator, tournament director and fundraiser.

🎾 COVETED COACH: Likening his coach of three years to “a second father”, Jannik Sinner says he will do his best to convince Darren Cahill to remain in his corner for 2026 and beyond. “We might ask him for a long chat, trying to convince him,” he said.

👏 ADIÓS, ALBERT: Four-time ATP Tour titlist and former World No. 17 Albert Ramos-Vinolas has played the final match of his 18-year pro career. The 37-year-old lefty made one last appearance at the Copa Faulcombridge by Marcos Automocion.

💍 DIEGO'S BIG DAY: Diego Schwartzman has begun a new chapter off court. The Argentine, who retired earlier this year, tied the knot with longtime partner Eugenia De Martino in his native Buenos Aires.

You'll never see a scoreline like it again: 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68.

That was the tally, in an exhausted John Isner’s favour, when he faced qualifier Nicolas Mahut in the opening round at Wimbledon in 2010, an 11-hour, five-minute epic that began on a Tuesday and ended on a Thursday, and stands as the longest match in tennis history.

It won’t stand out as the top career highlight for Mahut, who played the final match of his career alongside Grigor Dimitrov on home turf at the Rolex Paris Masters. Mahut won five Grand Slam doubles titles, topped the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, and helped lead his countrymen to Davis Cup glory. He also claimed four tour-level trophies on the singles court, and reached a career-high No. 37. But Mahut, 43, will attest that his infamous Wimbledon marathon will always occupy a special place in his heart.

“I now enjoy talking about that match because it was a crazy experience,” said Mahut of that iconic result, which led to a rule change at the All England Club. “It brought me a lot as a player and as a man. But I can be associated with that match and I can talk about it easily because I know that after that… I managed to win.”