Next Gen ATP Finals
Wanting to be Brad Pitt, swim with dolphins and watch Real Madrid: confessions of Mensik, Shang and Van Assche
Learn more about the participants of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF
December 16, 2024
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
By ATP Editorial Board
Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng and Luca Van Assche are some of the most exciting young talents making waves on the ATP Tour right now. And this week, they are all on the field at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah, but ahead of the debut, they talked about some of their off-court interests.
On Monday, before the event, the trio reflected on everything from their favorite movies and Netflix series to their dream stunt partners and unforgettable experiences off the court. This is what they said…
Favorite Netflix series and favorite movie?
JM: My favorite series is Game of Thrones, and I like the Vikings series. As for movies, I love Gladiator and Gladiator II. It’s one of my favorite movies and I also love The Wolf of Wall Street, it’s a very good movie. I like action movies and series and also the classics.
SJ: I really like The Great Gatsby or Inception. The Great Gatsby is a great movie. The book is perhaps even better.
LION: I think my favorite is Prison Break, and on Netflix I watched Fauda. In general, I don’t have one in particular. Just old movies, like Gladiator.
What is your favorite artist and the last song you listen to before going to the court?
JM: The song I would listen to would be Mockingbird by Eminem. It gets me pumped before games and I’ve had some good wins after listening to it. I like a lot of Eminem music.
LION: I listen to a lot of music. In French, I really like NLP. They are a French rap group. Sometimes I listen to The Weeknd too. The last song I listen to before going to the court is Gazo. He is also a French rapper.
What’s something cool you’ve done off the court as a tennis player?
JM: I went to see El Clásico in Madrid this year. I’m a huge Madrid fan, so having the opportunity to see Madrid play against Barcelona was incredible. I think it was one of the best experiences. You could also say that it was a tourist visit to the Bernabéu stadium.
SJ: I was with dolphins. I was on a boat near an island and then the dolphins followed us all the way back from the island to shore, which was about an hour and a half. Seeing them up close for so long was really cool.
LION: Sometimes I am invited to rugby matches in France because I am a professional tennis player. I went to matches in Paris twice during the 2023 World Cup. I saw France against New Zealand and New Zealand against Ireland.
Who would be your ideal doubles partner and why?
JM: I would choose Dustin Brown. He’s funny, he’s a showman and he knows how to play well at the net, so I think he would be a fun choice.
SJ: I would say Li Na. He has been a great inspiration for Chinese tennis. My main memory of watching her was the final of the Australian Open, when she won it in 2014. It was really inspiring. In the men’s category, I would choose Novak Djokovic.
LION: Federer, because he is my favorite player.
If you could trade places with one person in the world for a day, who would it be?
SJ: I would choose someone famous and probably an actor like Brad Pitt. I would like to see what your lifestyle would be like. Any amazing actor would do it just to see the cool lifestyle they would lead.
LION: If I were a tennis player, I would be [Roger] Federer, because I would like to see what it feels like to be like him. Outside of tennis, maybe the president of France, to see what he does all day.
Do you have a secret talent?
JS: I think I’m pretty good at golf. I don’t play much, but when I do, I play pretty well. I should go play with Rafa and Casper Ruud.
LION: I played the piano when I was little, but it’s been over ten years now, so maybe I’ve forgotten it. [Podría pedirle consejo] to Ugo Humbert: he is very, very good.
What is your favorite cheat meal?
JS: I like Italian pizza. It’s really good.
LION: The pizza.