Preview: Queen's: Jakub Mensik vs. Adrian Mannarino - prediction, form, head-to-head

Back in action for the first time since his semi-final defeat to Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros, Jakub Mensik will hope to carry his clay-court momentum into the grass season, with a first-round meeting against veteran Adrian Mannarino at Queen's.

The Frenchman is a three-time quarter-finalist at Queen's Club, which gives him a degree of pedigree at the event, though the young Czech will be mindful of the 37-year-old's recent record at the ATP 500 tournament.

Match preview

After an underwhelming start to the clay-court season, Mensik stunned observers by reaching the semi-finals in Paris, where he lost to eventual French Open champion Zverev.

The 20-year-old had failed to impress in Madrid, Rome and Hamburg in the lead-up to the second Grand Slam of 2026, only to make the last four of one of the sport’s biggest tournaments for the first time.

Although he appeared to run out of steam after beating Joao Fonseca so impressively in the quarter-finals, the past week to 10 days should have given the former world No. 12 time to recharge.

The 20-year-old now heads into his second appearance at Queen’s Club, aiming to better last year’s debut showing at the London event.

Twelve months ago, the young Czech beat home player Cameron Norrie in three sets before losing to veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in three tight sets.

Up against another seasoned opponent on Tuesday, Mensik will target a positive result as he looks to improve his underwhelming 6-7 career record on the surface.

Beating Mannarino on grass will be tricky for Mensik, not least because he has played so little on the surface since last year’s Wimbledon defeat by Flavio Cobolli.

While the left-handed Frenchman is returning to the London event for the first time since 2024, he arrives for his second grass-court tournament of the season after last week’s impressive run in ’s-Hertogenbosch.

The former world No. 17 secured a pair of hard-fought victories over Gabriel Diallo and Arthur Rinderknech, along with a quarter-final win against Zhang Zhizhen, before losing to Alex de Minaur in the last four.

After losing seven consecutive matches on clay and eight overall, the switch to grass appears to have given the experienced Mannarino fresh momentum, even if recent appearances at Queen’s have brought little joy.

The left-hander has lost his last two matches at the event, falling to De Minaur in 2023 and Grigor Dimitrov 12 months later; however, the 2011, 2018 and 2023 quarter-finalist will hope his greater pedigree at the tournament bodes well against a player 17 years his junior.

Head To Head

Tuesday’s encounter will mark the players’ first meeting on the ATP Tour, with the winner to take a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head.

Mannarino may no longer be in his prime, but the experienced Frenchman remains a threat on grass, as shown by the three-time Queen’s quarter-finalist’s run to the Den Bosch semi-finals last week.

By contrast, Mensik is yet to find his feet on the surface, having won only six of his 13 career matches on grass, though one of those victories came against former British No. 1 Norrie 12 months ago.

Mannarino heads into Tuesday’s match with a 9-16 record for the season, a markedly inferior return to Mensik’s 23-10, which leaves him with a reduced chance of success based on their overall results this year.

We say: Mannarino to win in three sets

Mannarino’s superior pedigree on this surface and at this event may give him a chance of beating a player who returns to action after an extended, demanding run at Roland Garros.

Having already reached the ’s-Hertogenbosch semi-finals last week, with two of his three wins going the distance, the veteran Frenchman is backed to beat Mensik in another three-setter and end his losing run at the London event.