Will Sascha clear the penultimate hurdle?
In both the women’s and men’s draws at the 2026 French Open, there will be a tournament winner who has never before claimed a Grand Slam title. With the field now thinned out, Alexander Zverev is determined to secure the final missing piece of the puzzle in his otherwise illustrious career. Our prediction for the match between Jakub Mensik and Alexander Zverev is that the German will reach the Roland Garros final for the second time since 2024.
However, the up-and-coming Czech is not to be taken lightly. The 20-year-old recently challenged Sascha in Madrid and even took a set from him on clay there, which certainly influences our prediction for Jakub Mensik vs. Alexander Zverev.
Generally speaking, we expect the German superstar to secure his spot in the final, especially since Sascha barely gave the up-and-coming Spaniard Rafael Jódar a chance in the quarterfinals, winning 3-0 in straight sets and only having to survive a tiebreak in the first set.
However, his Czech challenger possesses one of the strongest serves on the tour, which should result in plenty of free points, so we definitely believe Jakub Mensik is capable of winning at least one set. Consequently, there is significant value in betting that this semifinal will not be decided in three sets.
In addition to the bet on over 3.5 sets, a bet on over 0.5 tiebreaks is also a good option, with odds of 1.58 available on the bet365 app for Jakub Mensik vs. Alexander Zverev. In the last match between the two players in Madrid, the Czech player took Sascha to a tiebreak in the second set and even managed to win it.
Jakub Mensik – Alexander Zverev Head-to-Head Record
Head-to-Head: 0:1
The two players have only crossed paths once before, and that match is particularly significant because it took place just a few weeks ago. On clay, the two athletes faced off in the round of 16 at the Madrid Masters, where Alexander Zverev prevailed 2-1 over Jakub Mensik in a very close match (6-4, 6-7, 6-3).
Jakub Mensik – Alexander Zverev Prediction
Given his standing and experience, the question arises: if not now, then when will Alexander Zverev win a Grand Slam title in his career? The Olympic champion, two-time world champion (ATP Finals 2018 and 2021), and seven-time Masters champion has already reached three Grand Slam finals, but has lost all of them.
If he plays as confidently as he did in the quarterfinals against Rafael Jódar, his fans certainly have nothing to worry about. All too often, however, the German superstar has stood in his own way throughout his career.
To make matters more difficult, the 20-year-old Czech has gained plenty of confidence on his way to his very first Grand Slam semifinal and has been playing outstanding tennis. We certainly believe this up-and-coming player is capable of taking at least one set from Sascha, just as he did in Madrid. Accordingly, the prediction is that this semifinal won’t go down in a straight three-set match.
