Ruud vs Mensik Prediction United Cup 1/5/2026 Today’s Tennis Picks

Casper Ruud and Jakub Mensik clash in the 2026 United Cup. The match is scheduled for Monday, January 5. Here’s our Casper Ruud vs Jakub Mensik prediction. This preview will also include a Casper Ruud vs Jakub Mensik pick.

Tournament Details

Tournament name: United Cup
Host cities: Perth, Sydney
Date: 2 – 11 January 2026
Field: 18 countries
Total prize money: $11,806,190
Tie: Norway vs Czechia

Casper Ruud vs Jakub Mensik Preview

Casper Ruud opened his account at the 2026 United Cup with his first career win against Alex De Minaur at the tour level. Ruud did it in front of a partisan atmosphere where De Minaur was enjoying the majority of the crowd’s support. An early break helped Ruud quieten the fans and build momentum and he went on to win the set 6-3, converting his third set point. Ruud broke De Minaur twice in the second set to seal a 6-3, 6-3 victory and improve to 6-1 in singles matches at the United Cup.

In the victory, Ruud hit 6 aces and 3 double faults. Ruud landed 71% of first serves in play and won 79% of first serve points (37/47). He won 42% of second serve points (8/19) and saved all five break points he faced in the match. Norway still lost the tie after falling in women’s singles and mixed doubles.

Jakub Mensik is making his United Cup debut as Team Czechia gets its campaign underway on Monday. Mensik enjoyed a fine breakout season on the ATP Tour last year, winning his first tour-level title at the Miami Masters by beating his idol, Novak Djokovic, in the final. He broke into the world’s top 20 for the first time and finished the year ranked 19th.

Mensik has already represented Czechia in team competitions at the Davis Cup, where he owns a 5-2 record. He has a 6-5 record against top 20 opponents in the past year; however, he has lost his last four matches against that caliber of opponents.

Casper Ruud vs Jakub Mensik Head-To-Head

Mensik leads 1-0 in the head-to-head. He beat Ruud in four sets at the 2025 Australian Open.

Casper Ruud vs Jakub Mensik Prediction

There can be no doubt about Mensik’s talent and ceiling after his breakthrough season, but match readiness tilts this match in Ruud’s favour. The Norwegian was in fine fettle in dismissing De Minaur and fresh from a performance of such composure, he should be favored to overcome the talented Czech.

Nur Said's Pick: Casper Ruud in three sets