Jakub Mensik believes he can go through the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at their best at the biggest tournaments.

Mensik is part of an exciting batch of players who are 21 and under, with many harbouring desires to win a Grand Slam one day.

The likes of Rafael Jodar, Joao Fonseca, and Learner Tien, all 20, are inside the world’s top 30, while 21-year-olds Mensik and Alexander Blockx are trying to crash the top table one day.

Mensik is currently 14th in the world, with Jodar just ahead of him in 13th, and is a French Open semi-finalist and a Miami Open winner. He has also beaten Novak Djokovic and Sinner in the past 18 months or so.

And while the Czech is yet to crack the top 10 and consistently challenge at the majors, he has lofty goals for himself going forward.

More Tennis News

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

When asked if he feels he can win a Grand Slam and beat a healthy Alcaraz and Sinner along the way, he told the Stella ATP Perfect Serve Podcast, “Definitely. I have this mindset. Since I was a kid, I always wanted to win slams and to go for it.

“And even like you said, when Carlos and Jannik are healthy, it’s really, really tough to play them. But since I’m here in the top 20, top 30, and I’m getting a little bit closer, step by step, I’m trying to follow their steps, the work, what they are putting in.

“I proved myself in Doha this year that I can play against Jannik. It was something that I was like, ‘Okay, well, let’s test where I am, you know?’

“And actually, even if he was healthy, maybe he didn’t play his best match. It was some kind of feeling, ‘Okay, well, if I’m in the top form, definitely’. And if the things will go very well, I can be there and I can beat them both.”

Mensik has shown, at times, he is a big-match player. He beat 24-time major winner Djokovic to win his first Masters title in Miami in 2025, and he has a 10-11 record against players ranked in the top 10.

The 6ft 5in big-server is yet to face Alcaraz but the fact he has beaten Sinner and Djokovic is an encouraging sign.

However, consistency can be an issue. While he is still only 21, at the China Open, Mensik lost in straight sets to Francisco Cerundolo on Saturday, leaving him 13th in the ATP Tour Finals Race.

While his serve, backhand, and return are particularly potent, sometimes his forehand can be a liability. If he wants to start challenging Sinner and Alcaraz, the big Czech has a way to go yet.

GO DEEPER: ‘I got tired of the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner matchup’, says former top 15 star