In a stunning upset at the 2026 Qatar Open, young Czech sensation Jakub Mensik has knocked out world No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, in one of the most memorable matches of the tournament so far. The 20-year-old, who burst onto the scene as last year’s Miami Open champion, outlasted the Italian powerhouse in a gripping three-set battle, winning 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 after two hours and 11 minutes on court.
Tennis fans had pretty much locked in the probability of another epic final between Sinner and top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, who had just scraped through his own quarterfinal against Karen Khachanov in three sets. But Mensik, ranked No. 16 and facing Sinner for the first time, had other ideas. The big-serving Czech brought his A-game, refusing to buckle under pressure and ultimately ending Sinner’s hopes of a deep run in Doha.
The match kicked off with both players feeling each other out, but Sinner looked poised to take early control. He earned four break points in Mensik’s second service game, threatening to run away with the set. Yet the Czech held firm, saving all of them with clutch serving. Mensik fired down 11 aces throughout the match compared to Sinner’s six, and his first serve was a weapon – landing at 71% and winning an impressive 82% of those points.
As the set wore on, Mensik turned the tables, creating a break point of his own at 4-3. Sinner escaped that jam, forcing a tiebreaker. That’s where Mensik really stepped up. He jumped out to a 6-3 lead with a mini-break and didn’t let history repeat itself – unlike his first-round tiebreaker against Jan Choinski, where he squandered a similar advantage. This time, he sealed the set 7-3 on his first opportunity, pumping his fist as the crowd erupted.
Sinner, the four-time Grand Slam champion, isn’t easy to keep down for long. He roared back in the second set, breaking Mensik twice without dropping a point in those games. The Italian dominated from the baseline, wrapping up the set 6-2 and seeming to regain his trademark rhythm. It felt like the momentum had swung firmly in his favor.
But Mensik appears to be built differently to most. In the decisive third set, he pounced early, breaking Sinner in the opening game after the Italian saved a break point in the second set’s opener, but couldn’t hold here. Mensik consolidated with a solid hold, fending off a break point of his own, and built a 5-3 lead with flawless serving. With Sinner serving to stay in the match, Mensik didn’t want to wait to serve it out. He earned a match point and converted it emphatically, sealing the upset with a forehand winner that left Sinner shaking his head.
In a quirky twist that highlights tennis scoring’s peculiarities, Sinner actually edged Mensik in total points won – 89 to 86 – but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Czech’s timely breaks and tiebreaker prowess.
This marks the biggest victory of Mensik’s career, propelling him into the semifinals against Arthur Fils. For Sinner, it’s just his second loss of the season, a rare stumble that dashes dreams of that Alcaraz showdown. Perhaps Mensik is on the trajectory of turning into the disruptor to the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly that tennis has been crying out for. It was unfortunate we didn’t get to see him against Novak Djokovic in Australia, but if he can get through Fils, a possible showdown with Alcaraz will be tantalising.
Read more of our news articles here.
Read more of our exclusive feature articles here.
Follow The Tennis Site on Facebook and X: @thetennissite
Follow Todd Scoullar on X: @toddscoullar
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.