Jakub Mensik delivered a powerful performance to secure Team Europe a second point at Laver Cup San Francisco 2025, defeating Team World’s Alex Michelsen in a thrilling 6-1, 7-6(3), 10-8 encounter on Friday afternoon and handing Team Europe an overall 2-0 lead in the competition.
At the opening session, Team Europe’s Casper Ruud claimed a straight sets victory over Reilly Opelka, 6-4, 7-6(4).
Making his Laver Cup debut against fellow rookie Michelsen, the 20-year-old Czech dominated early on the black court at Chase Center. He broke Michelsen early in the opening set, leaning on his brutal serve and heavy groundstrokes to dictate play, while mixing in crisp volleys and whisper-soft drop shots to shorten rallies.
Michelsen, 21, raised in Southern California and buoyed by a partisan home crowd, struggled to adjust to his opponent’s pace and depth. At 19 minutes in, he managed to hold serve for 1–4, drawing cheers as he tried to spark a turnaround. The American flashed moments of his explosive shot-making but couldn’t consistently disrupt Mensik’s rhythm, nor neutralize the Czech’s power.
The second set turned into a tense battle. Michelsen stayed level through the rallies, matching Mensik’s pace and refusing to give up ground. He produced a clutch service break at 4-5, then held to even the set at 5–5, igniting the home crowd. From there, he carried the momentum into the tiebreak, holding his nerve to force a deciding 10-point Laver Breaker, as Team World Captain Andre Agassi and his bench leapt to their feet.
But the Czech’s precision and power held firm. Michelsen fell behind 0-4 in the breaker through a series of unforced errors, and while he kept gaining ground, Mensik retained a small margin to close out the match with an ace.
“It’s always tough for your nerves but I’m happy that I stay focused to the end,” Mensik said after the match, watched by former Team Europe representative, Roger Federer, who led his team to victory with Rafael Nadal at the first Laver Cup in Prague 2017.
Mensik, just 12 at the time, was in the stands to watch his idols play doubles. “I was hoping I was going to see Roger and Rafa playing together, I got lucky,” recalled Mensik, who at No.17 is the second-highest ranked Czech behind Jiri Lehecka (No.16) in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Regarded as a future major contender, Mensik returns to center court on Friday night for the last match of the day in a doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, who is only two years older but has claimed six Grand Slam singles titles, including his second US Open a few weeks’ ago. They will face Team World’s highest-ranked competitor, Taylor Fritz (No.5) and Michelsen, whose close encounter with his young rival will undoubtedly fuel the American’s motivation for revenge.