Rafael Nadal gets 'GOAT' shoutout from Next Gen Finals star after Spaniard turns TV show host

Jakub Mensik was one of the eight players competing at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah last week. While the Czech player failed to make a huge impact on the court, losing all three of his matches, he enjoyed the overall experience and also dubbed Rafael Nadal as the 'GOAT' during one of his conversations with the Spaniard.

Amid the exhibition tournament, Jakub Mensik got the opportunity to sit down and talk to Rafael Nadal alongside Joao Fonseca and Alex Michelsen. It was a rare chance for the youngsters to interact with one of the most iconic tennis players of all time.

Nadal was present in Jeddah during the event as he signed a deal with the Saudi Tennis Federation about being an ambassador of the sport in the country, and part of that had him sit down with some of the rising stars of the sport.

Mensik thoroughly enjoyed his interaction with the 22-time Grand Slam winner and gave his thoughts via a post shared on Instagram on Tuesday, December 24.

"The host of this new TV show got us all to agree that clay is the best surface! hahahaha :) Jokes aside, it was amazing to spend some time with The GOAT." - Mensik on Instagram

Jakub Mensik isn't generally known as a very good clay player as most of his good performances are on super-fast surfaces which provide a great basis for his ultra-aggressive style and powerful serve.

However, despite the surface in Jeddah being on the faster side, Mensik wasn't able to really use his serve in the way he wanted to, especially in the crucial match against Arthur Fils where he served fairly poorly. Losing that match left him without any chance as, despite a spirited effort in the final round, the Czech player was beaten by Joao Fonseca, who ended up emerging as the victor.

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Jakub Mensik: "My tennis inspiration is Novak Djokovic"

While Jakub Mensik had a great time with Rafael Nadal and declared him the GOAT, Mensik idolizes Novak Djokovic and considers the Serbian as the player who inspired him to take up tennis.

Praising the 24-time Grand Slam winner and calling him an 'inspiration' during a 'Get to Know' segment by ATP Tour in February this year, Mensik said (via ATP Tour on YouTube):

"My tennis inspiration is Novak Djokovic. Because of him, I started to play tennis. He is my biggest idol. And because of him, I wouldn't be here," Mensik said.

The two faced off for the first time in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters in October this year, with the Serb prevailing 6-7(4), 6-1,6-4. Mensik also famously said that his ideal match would be against Djokovic at the Australian Open. With the Australian Open 2025 around the corner, the Czech rising star would be hoping to get to play against his idol.