Jakub Mensik upsets Casper Ruud at Australian Open for fifth Top 10 win in the last year

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik has pulled off the biggest upset of the Australian Open so far, taking out No. 6-seeded Casper Ruud, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in the second round on Wednesday night.

With that, the 19-year-old continues to prove he’s not intimidated by Top 10 players, as he’s now won five of his last seven matches against the elite. He’s 5-4 against them overall in his career.

JAKUB MENSIK VS TOP 10 PLAYERS (5-4):
l. to No. 9 Fritz in '23 US Open 2nd Rd
l. to No. 9 Hurkacz in '24 Australian Open 2nd Rd
d. No. 5 Rublev in '24 Doha QFs
d. No. 10 Dimitrov in '24 Madrid 2nd Rd
d. No. 6 Rublev in '24 Shanghai 2nd Rd
d. No. 10 Dimitrov in '24 Shanghai 4th Rd
l. to No. 4 Djokovic in '24 Shanghai QFs
l. to No. 10 De Minaur in '24 Vienna QFs
d. No. 6 Ruud in '25 Australian Open 2nd Rd

He also clearly isn't intimidated by big stages, as he’s now reached the third round at three of the first five Grand Slams he’s played in his career, having also gotten this far at the last two US Opens.

After Mensik won a relatively routine first set on Wednesday night, Ruud broke midway through the second set en route to tying it up at one set apiece—but the Czech retaliated, absolutely dominating the third set in just 26 minutes, then broke one last time in the seventh game of the fourth set en route to a two-hour, 44-minute victory.

Mensik finished the match with an incredible 62 winners to just 35 unforced errors, including 22 aces to just 1 double fault.

He sealed the deal with one last huge inside-out forehand winner.

“I’m feeling great,” Mensik said. “I knew before the match it’s going to be a tough one, and obviously it’s never easy to play against these top players. Even more on the Grand Slam, best of five sets.

“I’m feeling really great because I was showing the performance all night. I’m glad I stayed focused and kept that level the whole match.”

Standing between the world No. 48 and his first second week at a Slam will be Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who also pulled off an upset in his match, coming back from a two-set deficit to defeat No. 29 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.