US Open 2024: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jakub Mensik preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (19) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jakub Mensik

Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Tournament: US Open 2024

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, U.S.

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $75,000,000

Live Telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS | India - Sony Network

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jakub Mensik preview

Felix Auger-Aliassime in action at the Western & Southern Open (Picture: Getty)

Nineteenth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime will open his US Open campaign against Jakub Mensik in the first round on Tuesday, August 27.

Aliassime heads into the US Open with a 27-20 match record for the season. He started the year with a third-round finish at the Australian Open, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev. In Montpellier a couple of weeks later, he reached the semifinals before being defeated by second seed Alexander Bublik.

Aliassime had a standout claycourt season, reaching his first Masters 1000 final in Madrid. He defeated Adrian Mannarino, Casper Ruud, and Jiri Lehecka before losing to Andrey Rublev in the final. At the French Open, he delivered a commanding win over 15th seed Ben Shelton in the third round but was eliminated by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the next round.

After a disappointing grasscourt season, Aliassime excelled at the Olympic Games. He finished fourth in singles, narrowly missing the bronze medal to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti. However, he secured a bronze medal in mixed doubles alongside Gabriela Dabrowski. He reached the third round in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago and was controversially defeated by Jack Draper on match point.

Mensik, meanwhile, is 16-12 this season having also reached a career high of No. 116 in the men's rankings this year. He began his 2024 campaign at the Australian Open, where he navigated the qualifier. He then secured a surprising victory over Denis Shapovalov in the first round before going down to ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz in a tight five-set match in the following round.

The Czech teen announced himself at the Qatar Open, advancing to the finals. He defeated the likes of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Andy Murray, top seed Andrey Rublev, and Gael Monfils along the way before losing to Karen Khachanov. Additionally, he reached the quarterfinals in Mallorca, where he lost to Alejandro Tabilo, and the semifinals in Croatia, where he was defeated by Lorenzo Musetti.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jakub Mensik head-to-head

Felix Auger-Aliassime edges Jakub Mensik 1-0 in their head-to-head, winning their only previous encounter at the Madrid Open earlier this year.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jakub Mensik odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Felix Auger-Aliassime	-350	+1.5 (-700)	Over 36.5 (-130)
Jakub Mensik	+240	-1.5 (+360)	Under 36.5 (-110)

(Odds sourced from BetMGM)

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jakub Mensik prediction

Jakub Mensik in action at the National Bank Open (Picture: Getty)

Felix Auger-Aliassime enters the US Open on the back of some good form in Cincinnati. Although luck wasn't on his side there, he looks hungry and eager to perform well at the final major of the year. Despite a worrying hardcourt season, his historically strong record at the US Open will likely also boost his confidence. He is a former semifinalist at the venue, doing so in 2021.

Mensik, on the other hand, has impressed with his charismatic and aggressive play this season. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, his consistency has been a concern. His preparation for the US Open has been less than ideal, with losses in the qualifiers at both Montreal and Cincinnati.

Aliassime is the favorite heading into this encounter given his better run of form off late and superior record at Flushing Meadows. Mensik could be shown the door very quickly if he isn't on it from the get-go.

Pick: Aliassime in four sets.