Nomadic LifeCzech likes to cut it fine when travelling
March 28, 2025
ATP Tour
Jakub Mensik faces Taylor Fritz on Friday in Miami. By ATP Staff
Jakub Mensik will compete in his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final on Friday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where he will face American Taylor Fritz.
ATPTour.com caught up with the 19-year-old Czech to discuss his craziest travel story, his favourite cities to visit, how at 6’4” he tackles long-haul flights and more…
Do you like to arrive at the airport well ahead of your flight or do you cut it fine?
I run the risk all the time. The closest airport from my home town of Prostejov in Czech is in Vienna, so it is two, two and a half hours by car. So I have to be there a little bit in advance, especially if I am traveling with my coach or with my parents… they are like always wanting to be there on time and we already are four hours in advance.
But when I am traveling alone or with someone who is more like me, I will take a risk. I will risk to sleep 10 minutes more.
Have you ever missed a flight?
Yes, but never because I was late to the airport or because I made a mistake. It happened because I missed a connection or because I was put in a long immigration queue.
Do you have a crazy travel story?
Actually, I have. When I was young, 12 years old, it was in Russia. I was 12 years old and I flew into Moscow with my coach. They were checking our visa. My coach and everyone went through. I had the visa, I had everything, but I was not in the system.
So here I was, a 12-year-old, stuck with them telling me I had to wait here by myself. Nobody was there, only five guys around me with guns. With couple of other people who had the same issue.
Then after two, three hours, I was calling my parents and I was like 12 years old, so I was very afraid. Actually, then somehow we figured it out. Of course, we missed the flight to Kazan. So we took another one. For me it was quite an experience because I was 12, I was in Russia. All the people like security guards and police officers with the guns and everything. I was feeling like in a movie, that I am arrested.
What are your go-to items when you travel?
I’m always taking my phone, of course, and headphones.
Have you ever forgotten to bring anything on a trip that has caused you some problems?
Not problems at the airport. All the time I had my passport, phone and visa. I had everything. Maybe once I arrive, I forgot to take the strings with me or to take the toothbrush or something like that. It is small things. Not a big issue.
What is your favourite city to visit?
For the tournament, it is New York and Melbourne for sure. Actually, Indian Wells also. When I have my free time, I love Spain. It doesn’t matter if it is Malaga, Marbella or Valencia. Something like that. And for vacations, Bora Bora and Maldives. I just lay on the beach, do nothing and don’t think about tennis at all.
Do you prefer the adventure of visiting a city for the first time or the familiarity of returning to a city you know?
Both. I have quite a few cities that I visited, and I really love to come back all the time. But I am still young. Of course, I travel a lot already. But still, I have some places I want to visit and it’s fun to explore the city, the culture, the people and everything.
How do you tackle long flights?
If the flight is five hours plus, I always take the business [class] because with my height it is just quite difficult to be in the economy class. I cannot fit there.
So how do you cope when you do find yourself in economy?
First option is exit seats. In this case when business is full or something, we take premium economy or exit seats because there is more space. Or if I am stuck in there, I just have to survive and hope for the best.
