This week on the podcast, I meet one of the top juniors from 2022 who has just recently turned pro - Jakub Mensik.

In our conversation, Jakub tells us all about his famous 2022 Australian Open boys' singles final and what is was like to train with Novak Djokovic. I also ask Jakub about how he’s dealing with all the media attention and what the jump from junior to pro was like.

Hope you enjoy it,

Fabio

Have you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?

Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ball

This podcast is sponsored by ASICS. ASICS is a Japanese company founded in 1949 with the purpose of giving more people the opportunity to experience how sport and movement can have a positive impact on mental wellbeing.

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Hello and welcome to the Functional Tennis Podcast with me, your host, Fabio Molli.

Every week I speak to the big hitters in the world of tennis, both on and off the court, about the game and how we can all get 1% better every day at what we do.

As an ex national team player, I know exactly how tough this can be.

So I'm on a journey to get the very best tips and advice from the world of tennis.

Last week on the FunCT Tennis Podcast, I spoke to Dr.

Dario Novak, an associate professor at University Zagreb and a member of the coaching team for Stan Rovrinka.

In our conversation, Dario detailed what Donna Vekic and Borna Cord were like as juniors when he began his strength and conditioning journey.

I asked Dario about his work with Stammer Vinka and his previous work with Elena Rybakina.

And we also spoke extensively about Dario's research into what makes a top tennis pro and a Slam champion.

Really interesting work there.

We had a fascinating in depth conversation, so I really recommend going back and listening to the episode.

He also had a career high ITF number two.

He got to the final of the Australian Open boys singles event where he lost to Bruno Kazahara in the final.

He suffered with cramps nearly four hours into the match and he was forced to leave the court in a wheelchair.

He couldn't even make the presentation.

But overall, his performance getting to the final, his junior results throughout the year have made people take notice of him, including Novak Djokovic, who invited Jakob to train with him personally and he tells us all about it.

Jakob has recently turned pro and has a very bright future ahead of him in the game of tennis.

I also asked Jacob about how he's dealing with all the media attention and what to jump from junior to pro was like.

But before that, I want to know exactly where in the Czech Republic he's from.

Jakob, welcome to the Function tennis podcast.

How are you?

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your invite.

Yeah, I'm feeling really good.

I'm now at home and yeah, I'm in the preparation mode before other tournaments.

So yeah, feeling very good.

Where exactly in the Czech Republic is home for you?

I'm living in Prosteof.

It's My hometown.

And yeah, here is one big tournament.

It's world junior tennis finals maybe you know, under 60, under 14 and one big challenger, one 100.

So yeah, it's pretty small city and yeah, it's in the centers, in the center of Czech Republic.

Nice.

And did you were the, were the under 14 world championships on when you were.

Maybe three years ago.

Three or four years ago.

Did you play?

How did you do?

Pretty good result for us because you know that we are small country.

We have like not enough players, young players to play tennis.

This year's guys are like we were, we were good teams so with the, with a good coach.

So yeah, we're going to go back to your early days.

But first as a 14 year old were you like one of the best 14 year olds in Europe?

What sort of level?

I know you did well in the tournament.

Just tell me what was your level back then compared to other juniors?

Were you top?

Were you not interested in ranking?

What was the mindset back then with regards to ranking?

I started to play tennis Europe after I was like 12 or 11.

Maybe this was my start because the, these tournaments were something different because I didn't play in Czech Republic and then started to play all around the Europe.

In Czech Republic the tournaments only create Czech Dennis Association.

I was, I was like pretty good.

I mean I was like second or first in my age and then I started to play around the European I think under 12 I was, I was like top, top 10 maybe top 10.

Then I started to play higher and higher tournaments and I started to be better and better and under 14 and under 16 I was placed top, top three for sure.

I think I enjoyed this part of my development a lot because there are a lot of guys and players that I knew before we became friends and yeah so it's like good memories.

And who do we know that played those tournaments back when you were 14 or who's in your age group should.

Going to throw this back a few years.

Where did tennis actually start for you?

Was.

Were your parents tennis players or coaches or was it just to get you, keep you out of trouble?

My parents were.

Both are like they like sports and my dad was.

He was playing ice hockey and my mother was skiing.

I started to play tennis because of them.

In front of my house, there are, like, two tennis courts.

I was always watching players who were playing there, and I was saying, oh, yeah, I like that and I want to try it.

And yeah, then I started because in our pros, it's like the biggest national tennis center in Czech Republic.

So I.

I have good opportunity.

And it all started when I was like 4 or 5 and I started to play with some, some coach, Ivo Miller.

My parents were one.

Want to play some, some sport?

Yes.

Do you remember the day where you said, I'm all in here, mom and dad, I want to be professional tennis player.

And you stepped it up.

When was that?

It started when I was like, 11, 12, when I started to play, like, more around the world.

And I started to realize that I'm pretty good in tennis and I can be, like, better and better.

I have also here good coaches and good people around me.

So, yeah, I was very lucky from that point.

And did you start playing more?

Were you practicing more, training more?

Did you just go all in?

Were you still in school?

How long did you do school for?

Did you finish school?

I'm still in school, but the school is like, I'm going there, like, when, when I'm not on the tournaments or when I'm not practicing, when I have, like, day offs.

The main thing, it's.

It's tennis.

I'm now in the middle school.

When I started to be more professional, the school moves on the lower, lower levels.

I'm now more focusing on tennis.

Look, it's still great that you're still in there, so that's really good, for sure.

And who did you look up to?

Who were your Czech hero tennis players?

I always watched Davis cup in the tv and with my dad, we were watching Thomas Berdich and Radek Stepanek.

These guys were like legends in our country because they won it twice.

Thomas was my, like, tennis hero when I started, but it's something different than my idol.

And the idol is, of course, who.

Else than Novak as a young kid?

What was your actual dream?

Once said, okay, I'm good enough to go pro here.

I want to dedicate some time to this.

Did you say, okay, I want to be the best in the world.

What was the initial dream there?

The main goal, or.

My dream was always to be the best in what I'm doing.

When I started to play tennis, and realizing that I can be like one, one of the best and that I have that potential.

It was my dream to be the, one of the best and winning Grand Slams and the big tournaments and of course be, be on the tour as long as I can.

Okay, now we're going to talk a bit about your junior career.

But before we get to the, the famous Aussie Open Boys final, which was challenging for you before that, what were your, what were the main challenges you had getting to that stage of your career?

Was there any big obstacles you had to overcome four years ago?

And I remember my first tournament, I started to have more and more experiences to be a part of better tournaments.

First year when I was junior, I told my coach that I want to play like all Grand Slams juniors.

And now it's my last year and I'm playing adults.

My first Grand Slam was U.S.

open.

When I saw everything, the club and all the players, I realized that that's the point why I'm playing the tennis, because I want to be here on these place.

So it was a big motivation for me to be better player.

I was in third round.

Then that stupid thing happened in the finals.

Tell us exactly.

Obviously you went into full body cramp.

You were on the court face down.

You look dead out there.

From the pictures I've seen.

Did you know this was happening like was a four hour, three setter final, wasn't it?

Yeah, I think it's not about just the finals but also the matches before because you know, it was my like first tournament that I played in these very hard conditions and was really, really tough because there were like 35 degrees every day.

The good thing was that, that, that I lost in, in the trial, gone early.

Then I realized after I was winning like four or five matches, I was feeling that my legs are like, what the hell is happening?

So in the Aussie Open everything went pretty good.

It was my like biggest result.

But when I, when I was on the court, this happened and yeah, let's go, move on.

I was playing in the Rod Laver Arena.

It's a dream of every player to play there.

Yeah, it was pretty tough because day before I played three sets match in 35 degrees.

So that day in that finals I was feeling really like tired and but still I felt that energy because it was my first final after three hours because we are playing 6, 7, 6, 6, 7, 6, 7.

So it was unbelievable.

And in, in the third set, after two sets, we played like two 2 hours and 45 minutes.

So it's unbelievable.

And then in the third set, I felt that my, my, my legs and arms and whole body is starting to like saying, stop, it's enough for us.

But, you know, it was final.

So I was pushing, pushing on and yeah, after, after like five all or five, six, my.

My body was absolutely dead in this point.

I, I can't remember what happened there.

Yeah, it was also very emotional and physical.

It was so hard for me.

I was recovering for four hours in the stage.

I felt pretty bad, but also still believing that I can win in that moment when I was serving and the cramps were everywhere, my coach told me that if I'm going to stand, like only just staying on the court, not, not playing, maybe I will win.

But no, no, no, it was, it was, it was very tough.

Yeah, well, it's a, it sounded and it looked like a very serious situation.

And how long did it take to recover after Take you a few days.

What did they do?

How did you cover?

Did they put fluids into your IVs or how did you get back to normal?

Yeah, immediately after the match, they put like ice on my legs and something.

Four cramps, some juice or I don't know what.

But you know, for, for this situation is the best option just to do nothing and just waiting after the cramps were gone and stuff after that opened the ice bath and it was the, was the nice thing ever after after this match.

Overall, it was a number.

Like you, you're in this pain, but also, look, you've got to Dubois final at the Aussie Open.

It's a big accomplishment.

You were number two in the world then.

When did you make decision to go pro after that?

Did that help you go pro quicker?

Yeah, for sure.

Because our plan was to play the Grand Slams and to go for higher and higher results on the Grand Slams.

But my second Grand Slam was the finals.

And after finals is only the winning of the tournament.

We wanted to also try to play Roland Garros and Wimbledon because, you know, it's, it's a Grand Slam.

After that we, we stopped with the juniors and moved to the adults, to the pros.

Because I felt, and my coach also, that my game is on that level that I can play with with the.

Big guys going back to Australia.

Novak Djokovic saw that, you know, you'd broken down, cramped up, and he, he spoke to you and he invited you to train with in Montenegro.

Tell me, what was it like to train with Novak Djokovic?

Yeah.

So the first Time was in Belgrade, not in Montenegro.

Montenegro was the second time after that finals.

I spoke to my mental coach because he's also Serbian.

He talked to me that his friend is in the part of Nola's team and that he saw me and saw the videos and the photos.

He also knew that he's my idol.

So, yeah, after like one week, I received a text message with, with a video of, of him talking to me.

And I was, I was shocked and absolutely didn't know what, what was happening.

That he knows me.

It was like unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

Yeah.

In that video was like that he inviting me to, to practice with him in Belgrade for two or three days, just to know him.

After one day, Viktor Troitsky called me.

I don't know where he get my number, but he called me and asked me if I'm free next week, that Nola is in preparation mode and he is looking for a practice partner if I want to be the part of that preparation.

So I was saying, of course I am ready.

We just packed our bags and got to Belgrade.

There I met Nolan.

And this guy is, he's very nice.

And how he's acting and how he's talking to me, it was like I felt that he's my friend at that moment, that I can, I can ask him whatever I want.

Then we started practicing and I was the part of his whole day, warm up, tennis practice, fitness session and recovery.

Everything.

I saw that how these, these guys on the tour, on these top players are like practicing and doing all these stuff.

So it was also big motivation for me and also the biggest experience I have ever, ever, ever seen.

And G, what's one takeaway you learned from being with him where you like that you took.

Apart from the hard work, what else did you learn from being around Novak?

The main thing is that the tennis, it's not about just tennis because all the stuff he was practicing the day, like only one and a half hour, but he, he did a good, good warm up and good recovery.

Very good.

Like the after, after session, the fitness, also the food, everything was that perfect.

Just not about tennis, but not just on the court, but around the court, because it's also very important.

And all great champions are, you know, they're really, they care about the little details.

How much attention did he put to the small details?

All his attention.

He's so good because of these like small things.

He's putting attention to everything and that's why he's the best.

Yeah, nice.

And so then you went to, Then you're Invited to Montenegro also in Belgrade.

Was the first time and before, before the Wimbledon he.

Yeah, he invited me in Montenegro for just one week and then in the next week he started to preparing for.

For Wimbledon and But it was on the hardcore, not on the grass court.

I spent there like five days.

I met his fitness coach.

Marco Pacini is from Italia and that guy is like the God of fitness sessions.

Yeah.

So all the people, people around him are absolutely amazing and very nice.

They were very, very helpful.

So after this experience you can, can you say you are a much better tennis player and you understand tennis a lot better?

Yeah, yeah.

Not.

Not just the better player but also the better person.

Nola is very nice guy and very helpful.

His acting on.

On tennis court that his rival and a monster on that court.

But off the court he's.

He's like nicest guys guy I ever met.

I feel that these experiences moves, moves me a lot but also not in my just tennis career but also in my personal way.

So yeah.

Nice.

It's amazing to hear the story from Jakob.

When you watch the footage from the final, you can see how much pain Jakob was in struggling to stand, holding the back of his tie in one hand and his racket in the other hand.

Obviously Novak saw something in Jakob.

Not giving up even when his body has a loss like that so close to win could hurt the confidence of a young player.

But it doesn't seem to have shaken Jakob.

I wonder if that will to win, which is crucial to become a top pro, is what Novik saw and he wanted to show Jakob you can see still have a career changing performance without lifting the trophy.

This is just a quick reminder.

You're listening to Functional Tennis, the podcast that helps you get 1% better every day with me, Fabio, Molly.

Coming up in the podcast, I asked Jakob how he managed his ambition and what the jump from junior to pro was like.

Jakob tells me about the time he played with Thomas Burdage as a young kid.

But first I wanted ask Jakob where he sees his level is now.

So look, you're moving forward the right direction.

You're learning from Novak.

You've played, you know, tournaments this year.

Can you say today you're the best version of yourself that there's ever been?

I think that there are lots of things that I can do better not just in tennis, but off of the court also.

When I look directly just on the tennis and all the tennis stuffs, we need to improve lots of things with my coaches and with my team, it's just about the hard Work and we put it in and just focusing on these, these little details.

How do you, you know, your top one, the top Czech players.

How do you manage expectations from the Czech people, from the Czech Tennis Federation, from your fans that I know you're compared to Thomas Berdich a lot.

Which is, which is, which is, you know, it's a big shoes to fill.

How do you manage those expectations?

To be honest, all this media and the news and everything goes to my parents because they are managing all these, all these things and all these news and everything.

So it goes around my head and I'm just trying to focus on what I'm doing.

Of course the fans like I like them and when I, when they are supporting me, it's very good for me.

But also very bad things.

Some hates and after losing the matches or whatever.

So I'm just trying to focusing that I like, I love what I'm doing and I'm putting 100% in everything in tennis.

So I'm just trying to be the best version of myself, me and my team.

Trust, trust in this process.

So hopefully this is the good way.

Yeah, I'm trying to, to just focus on the good things and not just for the bad things.

Yeah, you got all the women as well.

All the, all the great Czech player women like Eason Krajeva now playing unbelievable.

Like.

Yeah, yeah, sure we have a lot of good girls like sister fruit of us and also Petra Quito eyes there for, on the tour for a long time.

She won Wimbledon twice and she's like it was eight years ago or something like that and she, she's still in the top, top of the, the girls tennis.

So yeah, we have a lot of, lot of good girls now in also in, in a men's.

We had, we have, we have Yuria now.

He's just, he's also the part of this National Tennis Center.

So we know each other very well and we are practicing with each other when he's here and when I'm here now Thomas Makha is playing very good.

We are, we are very young.

So yeah, we have a lot of things to do.

Yeah.

Hopefully the stage of men's Czech tennis will go higher and higher.

Yeah.

Well, you look.

He's definitely do good job.

The hex is meant to come on the podcast a while now.

I'm still waiting for him to book in, but he's due to come on soon.

Well, he was due to come on.

I haven't heard from him in a while.

But funny, we posted a video today with his fitness trainer.

I'm sure you know Radek.

Yeah, Radek Sebanek.

I know him very well.

I was cooperating with him for a long time, like two or three years.

And then we separate because he's now the main fitness coach of Jirila Heka.

So they are doing great job.

And I think after, after that, he's now top, top 50.

So.

Absolutely, absolutely.

Well done.

Yeah, no, definitely good.

No, people were saying that that's not Radic Stefanik.

They were thinking of the player.

They're like, that's not him.

Like, no, it is him.

No, no, no, that, that's not, that's not the player.

They have just the same names.

But yeah, I heard this a lot also.

You're obviously ambitious, you've big ambitions.

How do you manage those, that ambition, like from day to day and make sure, you know, you're not too eager that you say this is a process here.

How do you manage that?

Yeah, of course, every, every win and every loss is the process.

You know, there are sometimes like good days and bad days.

For example, like the middle of last year was that I was a little bit struggling not with just my tennis, but everything else because I didn't play really good.

I was losing and losing.

And after that we said, hey, it's just the process.

You know, we are training, we are practicing, we are doing all what we can someday, just one, one, one bad win.

But that pushes you very, very high.

And after that moment, it was the last year the challenger in, in Prague, first round was that I was not playing really good.

But somehow I win something just flipping switch in my head and starting to being like better and better every day.

After that I, I was in semifinals and after that I, I came to some futures and I won 1, 2, 3.

And then I was like, oh my God, just one month ago I was playing really bad.

But after, after some, some good wins, I start.

I started to realize that it's not just about the winnings, but about also the losing.

Because the loses we, I think will push you higher and higher and.

Yeah, that's it.

So after, after every match or not just the match, it can be like practice and whatever.

We just trying to put our best and yeah, moving and enjoying that journey.

You got to get used to the losing because it happens most weeks.

Yeah, for sure.

So you play Aussie Open, get to the final, you play French Open, play Roland Garros.

These places are amazing.

You're a junior there, you own the place.

You feel like a king.

What's it like then to make that transition to the pro tour where you're playing futures, the odd challenger.

What does it feel like showing up at these places?

Was that tough, was that challenging?

Or how do you deal with it?

I know now you're more challenger, but it's a bit nicer.

But it's, it's still not that ATP or Slam level.

Absolutely, absolutely.

Because juniors and pros, it's very, very, very different.

Another level.

Yeah, the juniors tournaments are really good.

But the best tournaments are of course the Grand Slams, Junior Grand Slams.

And when you are on the Grand Slam, you, you, you feel that you have everything and yeah, that that's the end of, of your, of your career.

Yeah, that's just one tournament, one week that you spend there.

And after, after that you move to the futures.

You, you don't know where, where you are that the place.

It's not, not good.

Not, not good.

Boss ref is worse than the Grand Slam.

I don't want to say that is the worst tournament I ever played, but sometimes on some places and in some countries it's really, really bad.

Also the players and the pros, the men's, it's different chapter because the juniors, you know that you can just have a break for one game and still you can, you can win the set, but in the pros.

Well, nothing like I remember my first tournament was 15k was in Sharm El Sheikh.

It was after, after the Aussie Open, one month after Australia Open.

And I felt that I can, I can, I was losing, but I felt that I can beat these guys.

But something, it's something, it's different than in juniors.

I felt that I'm a better player, but every point which I won, I must to hit two or three strokes more.

And after, after a big point, I won the big point.

And I thought that these guys will be like, okay, so just like in juniors, one game off.

So they gave me, they gave me one game easily but nothing.

They are playing, playing, playing whatever is happening.

And that's a difference between juniors and pros and for sure also the place where you are.

Because when you are moving from top junior tournaments to the futures, you felt like, oh my God, you need to start this journey again and you need to be through these tournaments.

And after that you move to the challengers.

That it's also something different than futures and they are starting to play more aggressive and you felt that they are, they are really good, not just in their, their mentality but also in the, in the tennis.

And I had that opportunity to play 250 ATP in Belgrade last, last year.

And yeah, when you are there it's like that's what you're like that's why you're playing tennis because you want to be on these tournaments, to be the part of the tour and play with the bests.

And yeah, just be on these tournaments because you have there everything.

And did you pick up the junior players last year who got wild cards into challenges?

Are you part of that group?

You mean, you mean this year or last year?

Was it not, Was it not last year's?

No, no, this year.

This year is the first time, is the first time when we have the opportunity to receive the wild cards and the promotion spots and on the challengers.

But last year we didn't have that opportunity.

Only, only that we have 3, 2 spots on 15Ks.

When you are top 100 in juniors, you have just 2, 2 spots in 15Ks but no opportunity to play like the challengers like this year.

So when my coach told me that I can play this year like the challengers because I will have the spots, I was like, yeah, that will be much easier.

And yeah, the, the journey will, will go faster.

Because you know when you are not just playing and struggling in futures it tournaments and that you can play on these better tournaments.

It's not just about that.

If, if you win around that you will have like more points.

So about the experiences.

Because when you are playing just one or one and a half year, just the futures and then you go on challenger, you are like oh my God, what I'm doing here, what, what to do now?

And you are not feeling comfortable like when you played already.

Yeah, these spots and these opportunities to, to play these, these tournaments.

It's very helpful and from ATP it's like, it's like a big gift for, for the juniors.

So do you have that this year?

You don't have it?

You personally?

No, we, we have, we have that.

Okay, that's good.

That's good.

Okay.

Because I, I finished, I finished in the year end ranking.

I, I was not in top 10.

I was in top, top 20.

I finished the year end ranking like 18.

And that ATP tour just told us that the players which are in top 20 will get these spots.

So if I didn't like have the points from for example from Auster and Open, I will be like free.

Yeah, I will just play just the futures and no more like these wild cards in the challenger.

So I was very lucky that I finished the year in top 20.

That was tight.

But look, I Think you've done a good job.

You won four futures last year.

You know, I think you're through that.

You're moving through that quickly, which is the important thing because you can get stuck down there for years.

Yeah, for sure.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I remember that last year I talk to my coach and my goal for this year is to be in top 800 ATP and he said, ah, okay, that's really good.

But you know, it's very hard after that.

I won few, few, few rounds and few tournaments and I was, I finished the year like around 400.

I have on the fridge the paper that I want to be at the end of the year top 800.

So I just take the stick and say, okay, okay, I'm not 800, but 400.

And also it was a big help for me because this year when we have that opportunities to play on challengers and also that I have the drinking, it's much easier to get in these tournaments.

So yeah, it's big help.

Our like goals or just the dreams for this year is to be the like good part of the challenger tour.

We want to play these tournaments and go with my ranking higher and higher.

And for example, I want to be a part of qualifications round in U.S.

open this year.

Final question for Jakob.

What advice for our listeners who want to be 1% better every day?

Just love what, what they are doing and trying to put everything, all the energy and trying to be every day better and better.

1% changes everything.

So if you are 1% better than every day or not just every day in everything what they are doing, then you are doing great job.

And yeah, you have, you have, you can, you can be, you can be there where you want to be.

Actually.

One more question.

Did you ever play tennis with Thomas Perdic?

Yeah, I played, I played because he was playing also he was practicing in this, in Prosteo in my hometown.

Every year the National Tennis center was, they were preparing to the exhibition with, with Thomas Berdich and also with the Iwan Lando.

So all the little kids and six, five years old, they, they had that opportunity to play every year for just one hour with Thomas Berdich and Ivan Lenvil.

I was like 6, 7.

So I played with him and I was watching.

I, I have also a lot of pictures with him.

But when I started to think to be a professional tennis player, he, he stopped his career.

And after that I realized that I cannot beat him one day.

So you can't, you can play him and beat him head up to Monaco.

Yeah, he's living the good life now.

Sure, sure.

Yeah.

Thank you very much.

Keep up the great work.

And we keep posting your videos because they're very popular on our page.

So thank you very much.

Also, thank you very much for everything.

See you.

That's the end of the podcast for today.

Thank you Jakob for coming on the show.

I'm really excited to see how your career progresses in the future and I bet we'll be watching all your performance at the very top of the game for many years to come.

Thank you for listening.

Next week on the podcast I speak to strength and conditioning coach Andrea Bercalia.

In our conversation we chat about how Andrea became a strength conditioning coach, his background in water polo and how fit water polo players have to be, how he got into tennis and his previous experience in football working for the famous Lazio football team.

He worked with Diana Yastremska and then he went on to work and still working with Emil Rusavari.

And he tells us all how he works with email to help him get stronger.

So I hope you enjoy the episode and can't wait to share it with you next week.

Just a few quick notes before we go.

Make sure to follow the show so you get automatically notified about new episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you would like to learn more about me or the work we do at Functional Tennis, visit our website@functionaltennis.com you can also follow the show on Instagram at the Functional Tennis Podcast and with me on Twitter Fab Mall.

This podcast is produced by One Fine Play.

James Bishop is the Executive producer.

Connor Foley is the series Producer and editor.

I've been your host.

Fabio Molly, thanks for listening to the Functional Tennis Podcast.