Mensik looks to build on breakthrough season
After a first-round bye, Jakub Mensik steps into the second round of the Italian Open to face wild card Matteo Gigante. The 23-year-old Italian Gigante pulled off a gritty opening win over Arthur Rinderknech, edging through in two tiebreakers. A six-time ATP Challenger champion Gigante’s latest title came in April at the Roma Garden Open.
While he had a breakthrough appearance in Melbourne earlier this year, losing to Ugo Humbert in the first round, consistency has eluded him. Across both Challenger and main draw events this season, he’s yet to go beyond the round of 16 or round of 64, respectively.
Mensik, meanwhile, is riding a wave of momentum. The 19-year-old Czech stunned the tennis world by capturing his first tour-level title at the Miami Open. That run included a statement win over Novak Djokovic in straight sets, both settled in tiebreaks, as well as victories over top seeds Taylor Fritz, Arthur Fils, and Jack Draper.
Mensik’s season started strong with quarterfinal showings in Brisbane and Auckland, followed by a third-round exit in Melbourne, where he pushed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to five sets in a thriller. Most recently, he backed up his form with a solid quarterfinal run in Madrid, before falling to Francisco Cerundolo in three tight sets.
Jakub Mensik and Matteo Gigante do not have a head-to-head yet and are going to begin it in the Italian Open, in their first encounter.
| Jakub Mensik | Category | Matteo Gigante |
| 21 | Ranking | 164 |
| 45-29 | Career W-L | 2-4 |
| 17-8 | YTD W-L | 1-2 |
| 1 | Career Titles | 0 |
| 0 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 1 | YTD Titles | 0 |
Mensik enters as the clear favorite given his form and recent results. Gigante, despite limited main-draw impact, will hope to find rhythm and feed off the home crowd in what promises to be a solid test.
Prediction: Jakub Mensik in straight sets
2025 Miami Open winner and 2025 Madrid Open Quarter-finalist Jakub Mensik is having a breakout year. Riding high on confidence and victories, it would be a safe bet to assume that the World Number 21 will get it done in straight sets. Here are the betting odds according to BetMGM.
Jakub Mensik: 11/50
Matteo Gigante: 10/3
