Preview ATP ASB Classic Auckland: Jakub Mensík chases second career ATP title against impressive Sebastian Baez

The ATP 250 ASB Classic final in Auckland will be held on Saturday, 17 January, featuring the young Czech Jakub Mensík against the impressive Sebastián Baez — arguably the most in-form player of the season so far, following a remarkable streak of seven consecutive wins, including two victories over top-10 opponents.

Normally, Mensík would be considered the favorite for this stage: he was Miami Open Masters 1000 champion a year ago, and boasts one of the best serves on the Tour. However, the Czech will face one of the season’s biggest surprises: Báez, who began with a strong United Cup performance and has maintained a high level of competition in New Zealand.

Baez’s road has not been easy — this week he defeated Jenson Brooksby and Ben Shelton to reach his 12th ATP final, seeking his 8th career title. The Argentine has a total of 7 ATP titles so far, 6 on clay courts, and this will be his second final on hard courts, aiming to show his versatility on different surfaces.

The 2025 Miami Open champion reaches the final after an impressive run through the tournament. Entering as third seed, Mensik defeated Hamad Medjedovic, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Fabian Marozsan. The Czech — world No. 18 — is chasing his second career title after three previous final appearances.

At just 20 years old, Mensík was runner-up at the Qatar Open 2024 and famously won Miami 2025 against Novak Djokovic. In Auckland, he arrives as the clear favorite, though he faces a tricky rival in Báez.

Mensík’s season started with a mixed United Cup campaign: he defeated Casper Ruud but then lost to Alex de Minaur and Zizou Bergs, which eliminated the Czech team in the quarter-finals. Mensík now has the opportunity to claim his second title and move closer to his career-high ranking, already securing the status of Czech No. 1 after the tournament, surpassing Jiri Lehecka.

The world No. 39 Baez has had a remarkable start to 2026, with seven consecutive wins, all on hard courts, including two victories over top-10 players. Normally a clay-court specialist, the Argentine seems to have found a formula to succeed on hard surfaces, surpassing his performance from the previous nine months in just two weeks.

In Auckland, Báez has impressed with wins over Emilio Nava, Jenson Brooksby, Ben Shelton, and Marcos Giron, dropping just one set in his opening match and maintaining momentum with eight consecutive sets in his favor.

Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton fell victim to the Argentine’s furious start to the season, as he secured a spot in the ATP 250 Auckland final — his 12th ATP final so far, although only his second on hard courts. The Argentine has an impressive record of seven career titles (six of them on clay) and will aim in Auckland to prove he can be versatile on different surfaces.

Not many players can boast that number of ATP trophies, although he has particularly excelled on the South American clay swing. This season, he seeks to demonstrate that he can be equally competitive on other surfaces and venues, aiming for his second hard-court title.

This will be the first meeting between Báez and Mensík, as both aim for their first title of the season. While Báez appears highly confident and in form, Mensík carries the advantage in terms of surface experience and ranking, and will look to prove why he became a Masters 1000 champion at such a young age, aiming to maintain his place among the world’s top players consistently in 2026.

Báez’s goal in Auckland is to demonstrate versatility beyond clay courts, pursuing his second hard-court title while solidifying his position among the top ATP players.