Awards
Mensik shines: Czech #NextGenATP is Breakout of the Year 2024
The 19-year-old European completed a stellar season
December 11, 2024
ATP/Getty Images
By ATP Editorial Board
Jakub Mensik has made a name for himself on the ATP Tour in the last 12 months. In recognition of his promising talent and striking rise, the 19-year-old Czech has been named Breakthrough of the Year at the 2024 ATP Awards.
“I am very happy and honored to be Breakthrough of the Year and win this ATP Award,” Mensik said. “I would like to thank you for the votes and all the fans around the world for your support and love. “It really means a lot.”
After beating his teammate Shang Juncheng and winning the ATP Prize, Mensik joins Arthur Fils, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as recent winners of this category. Selected by the players, the award is given to the #NextGenATP player who broke into the Top 100 for the first time and had the biggest impact on the ATP Tour during the season.
Mensik’s 2024 is backed by the impressive run he put together to reach his first ATP Tour final in Doha in February. Competing in the main draw of a tour-level event for the first time, Mensik defeated Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev and Gael Monfils in consecutive matches before falling to Karen Khachanov in the title fight.
The victory over Rublev ensured that Mensik became the youngest player to eliminate a Top 5 opponent since Alcaraz beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 US Open. With his memorable run in Doha, Mensik entered the PIF Top 100 ATP Rankings for the first time.
“The week [de Doha] It will be unforgettable for me,” Mensik said. “I think going forward, this tournament showed me that I can play with these players and that I can be on top soon.”
Mensik earned a victory representing the Czech Republic at the Paris Olympics before equaling his best Grand Slam result by reaching the third round at the US Open. However, the rising star found another gear in October, when he advanced to back-to-back quarterfinals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
In Shanghai, Mensik battled Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov to record his third and fourth wins over Top 10 opponents, but fell to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. This streak helped him rise to the Top 50 for the first time, reaching a career-high (No. 48) in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Mensik will end his 2024 season at the upcoming Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah, where the best players under the age of 20 will compete from December 18 to 22.
Source: https://www.atptour.com/es/news/mensik-atp-awards-2024-newcomer-of-the-year
