By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, February 19, 2026
Picture credit score: Miami Open by Itau
A jolting Jakub Mensik drive made Jannik Sinner’s head swivel because the ball buzzed by him.
The 20-year-old Mensik rode vicious velocity and sharp-angled volleys to a surprising 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 upset of world No. 2 Sinner to cost into the Doha semifinals.
“Effectively, I don’t know [the key] to be sincere. In fact earlier than the match I knew aboit Jannik’s high quality,” Mensik stated. “He’s an incredible man nice champion. Already what he’s accomplished in his profession is kind of spectacular.
“Even with that that I got here into the match to win it. Having that profitable mindset and I served fairly good…It was a really powerful psychological battle.
“Truly, after the bathroom break [at the end of the second set], I’m actually pleased how I got here again. From the start of the third set I began to serve very well and I’m simply actually pleased with the efficiency I confirmed as we speak.”
Miami Open champion Mensik snapped Sinner’s 12-match profitable streak on the ATP 500 stage and ended his 14-match profitable streak in quarterfinals relationship again to 2024. Sinner was is 69-1 vs. gamers ranked exterior the High 10 on onerous courts because the begin of 2024 season, however a fearless Mensik shattered that prowess.
“In fact, it’s an incredible win,” Mensik stated. “It’s gonna get an enormous [reaction] in my nation. The match remains to be going. No time to rejoice a lot. I’ll go to get some sleep tomorrow I’ll get up. Hopefully I’ll restoration effectively and check out my greatest to point out the identical tennis I confirmed as we speak.”
The Sixteenth-ranked Mensik made historical past as the primary Czech man to defeat Wimbledon winner Sinner—and he did it often standing toe-to-toe with the sport’s supreme ball striker and profitable pivotal baseline exchanges.
A masterful Mensik served 71 p.c, rocketed 11 aces and dropped solely 11 factors on first serve, enhancing to 4-2 lifetime vs. High 5-ranked opponents.
Mensik will meet Frenchman Arthur Fils for a spot within the ultimate.
The 21-year-old Fils swept eighth-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 to achieve his eleventh ATP semifinal and first since Barcelona final April.
Placing with authority, Sinner reeled off 9 consecutive factors remodeling a 2-all impasse to a 5-2 second-set lead. Sinner scored his second straight love break racing by means of 4 video games in a row drive a ultimate set.
Although the second seed was driving all of the momentum, Mensik snatched it proper again after taking a few four-minute lavatory break.
The Miami Open champion drained successive errors breaking Sinner to start out the ultimate set.
Although Sinner earned break-back level within the subsequent sport, Mensik stood tall below stress. Mensik slid an ace then drew a backhand error holding agency for 2-0.
Dancing round his two-hander, Mensik drilled a diagonal forehand holding for 3-1 after one hour, 52 minutes.
When Mensik wasn’t bludgeoning the ball from the baseline, he confirmed flashes of sentimental contact. Capping a shock serve-and-volley with a intelligent backhand drop volley winner, Mensik stamped his past love maintain of the decider for 4-2.
Down Love-30 within the ultimate sport, Sinner battled again to 30-all. Then Mensik blasted a backhand bolt down the road for match level. Driving one other backhand, Mensik ended his largest win, by rating, in two hours, 11 minutes.
On a day that noticed world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz battle again from a set all the way down to defeat Karen Khachanov, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3. Mensik stopped Sinner’s comeback hopes with a robust shut derailing the prospect of a Doha ultimate between the world’s prime two.
Sinner, who felt to 38-year-old Serbian celebrity Novak Djokovic, the oldest man within the High 20 on the Australian Open, misplaced to the ATP’s youngest High 20 participant as we speak.
