QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 24, 2024

Jakub Mensik

Press Conference

K. KHACHANOV/J. Mensik

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Jakub, sorry for today. Tough loss. But you had a very nice week here in Qatar. My question is what is the most memorable moment for you in this week?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, for sure this week will be for me unforgettable. From the beginning, I didn't even get to this tournament on my own ranking. I had to use the NextGen spot, so I tried to enjoy every moment on the court. I didn't expect that I will go through to the final. So I'm really happy with my performance.

Also today I have to say that I am sad and also happy at the same time, because a tough loss today, like you told me, but yeah, it was a great match. Obviously Karen played really well. I think that of course during the tournament he didn't play a lot of points like me. I mean, I played a lot of long matches, so at the end, or the second set, I started to feel a little bit more tired. My legs wasn't working so well.

But, yeah, I tried to leave everything there on court. So, yeah, unfortunately didn't get the W, but still very happy with this week and with all these performances. I mean, I think for the future, this tournament showed me that I can play with these players and that I can be soon on top.

Q. I want to say congrats even if you lost today. It was such a tight match. Any kind of regret at all in that first set? You fought so hard. It seemed the tiebreak you maybe had him.

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, of course the tiebreak was very specific. I mean, I was 5-2 up, and then it was such a great serving points from both of us at the end of the tiebreak.

It was very difficult, very tough pressure moments, and everything Karen did very well. Me also, but yeah, then at the end it's just one point changes everything.

So this time it was for Karen, but I tried to keep my head up, tried to stay focused also in the second set. Unfortunately very bad loss my serve in the second set, first game. I was a bit unlucky, one mistake and that was it, you know, and then it was very tough to come back from this break down.

Very well service from his side, and yeah, just incredible how he stayed focused all the time and didn't give me chance on the return.

Q. How much everything change for you this week? Where would you like to be at the end of the year on ATP rankings?

JAKUB MENSIK: It change everything (smiling). Of course before the tournament I was just, you know, challenger player. Now with my first experience on the ATP Tour, like I said, this week showed me that I can play with these players and can beat them every day.

I mean, it was really tough, but also very challenging for me, so it changed. With my ranking now, I will be able to play these type of tournaments every week, so it will be of course very nice. This success doesn't mean that next week I'm going to be in the finals also. It's tennis. Every week is different. So it's just good for me that I can play now these tournaments every week and to get there on my own ranking.

So for sure now it will be for me more easier to choose the tournaments where I can play. So for the next one, I think, yeah, I have to think about it, what will be my goal, but right now for sure it was so close, the title was so close, that hopefully if not this year but hopefully very soon I will lift it also.

Q. About the ranking? The end of year, where would you like to be?

JAKUB MENSIK: I don't know right now. I mean, right now it's February, so I think top 50 would be really nice, but yeah, it's just now my first thought (smiling). Yeah, hopefully it will like this.

Q. Jakub, how does the final differ from the other matches? Maybe the pressure is even more? I noticed you were not able to generate any breakpoints on Khachanov's serve, especially on the first set.

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, I think that my performance today was also very good. I think maybe not as good as yesterday, but still, I think that I played really well.

But Karen was just unbeatable on his serve. So he served really well. Also, like I told you in the tiebreak, also he put some pressure on me when I was on the serve, and like I told you, I felt very tired because I finished yesterday at 10:30, and, you know, go to do some recovery and then sleep, prepare for the match, so it was really tough for me.

Also, during the whole week, I played a lot of matches and a lot of long matches with Andy Murray, and then also with Gael it was very tough and long matches, so for sure that this one was a little bit more difficult for me.

But still, I think that I had that opportunities, so yeah, it's just -- yeah, it doesn't mean that I had more pressure or something, but just he played very well today.

Q. Is this your best surface? How do you play on clay and grass?

JAKUB MENSIK: On grass I played only once during Junior Wimbledon two years ago, so we will see this summer (smiling).

For sure with my game style, the hard courts are just the best options for me, but I wouldn't say that I'm bad on the clay courts, but with my game style, it's just for me better to play on the hard courts. But also, clay courts, I like to play on clay. A lot of success past years I had on clay, so I don't have problem. I think that I am both like hard courts and clay courts.

Q. Do you feel you will be ready for Dubai?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, that's good question. We spoke about it, and of course it's really tough. Like I told you, we didn't expect, me and my team, that I will play this week these lot of matches.

We expect that I will just, you know, play maybe one or two matches here and then next week also, so we put the program for next months that every week I had tournament, so I play Doha, Dubai, next Indian Wells, maybe Phoenix, Miami.

So these tournaments, the schedule of what I'm going to do, it's very challenging. So we have to decide very carefully where to put, you know, the peak, which tournament will be the highest peak.

I'm not going to say right now if I will be 100% ready for Dubai. I think that I will just try to play there, just again take some experiences from the best guys, but I think that we will do of course our best to be 100% ready, but the main goal is to be 100% ready on Indian Wells and Miami.

But before the tournament, I put my goal that I will be ready on every tournament, Doha, Dubai, and then other, but that I achieved this final with a lot of tough matches and a lot of long matches that this thing is kind of changing right now.