Jakub Mensik edged out Alex Michelsen in a thrilling battle of rookies during the second match of the 2025 Laver Cup, securing a 6-1, 6-7 (3), 10-8 victory to give Team Europe a 2-0 advantage over Team World. The Miami Open champion’s win was especially meaningful, as the 20-year-old attended the inaugural Laver Cup in 2017 as a 12-year-old fan.
“I was hoping to see Roger and Rafa play together,” Mensik said after the match. “On the second day, I got lucky they played on the same court. It’s been a pleasure watching them and now playing here a few years later. Actually, Roger is watching me! That’s pretty cool.”
With Federer in the stands, Mensik dominated the opening set, dropping just one game. He looked set to close out the match comfortably, but Michelsen, a former junior rival, fought back, breaking Mensik’s serve as he served for the match. “We’ve known each other since juniors, so we know a lot about each other on court,” Mensik explained. “This format with a match tiebreaker is always nerve-wracking, but I’m glad I stayed focused and fought for every point. I’m happy to have helped my team take a point.”
Michelsen needed to win a second sudden-death tiebreaker to complete the comeback, but Mensik held his nerve during the crucial moments, maintaining the lead for most of the breaker and building on Casper Ruud’s earlier win over Reilly Opelka.
