Jakub Mensik vs Learner Tien Prediction & Picks - Next Gen ATP Finals

Prediction published on 12/17/24, 9:14 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 12/17/24 at 10:27 AM in Tennis Picks

The ATP Next Gen Finals 2024 get underway this Wednesday, December 18, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In the first Group A match of these group stages, Czech Jakub Mensik takes on American Learner Tien. Jakub Mensik, 19, has moved up more than 100 places to become one of the top 50 players on the men's tour in 2024. Having beaten two members of the top 10 in October, Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov, at the Shanghai tournament, the Czech reached the quarter-finals, even winning the first set of his duel with Serbian and former world number 1 Novak Djokovic. He will certainly be looking to rediscover that form in his first match of the tournament, in order to earn the points he needs to move on.

For his part, Learner Tien, also aged 19, has won no fewer than 4 ITF and 3 Challengers this year, but has yet to break into the top 100 of the ATP rankings. Indeed, with far less ATP tournament experience than his opponent of the day, it should be difficult for him to match the Czech in this first match of the tournament.