Wimbledon R3 previews and predictions: Mensik vs. Cobolli, Djokovic vs. Kecmanovic

With the Wimbledon draw surprisingly depleted, Jakub Mensik vs. Flavio Cobolli has to be considered one of the third round’s most intriguing matchups. Fellow Serbs Novak Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic are also on Saturday’s schedule.

(22) Flavio Cobolli vs. (15) Jakub Mensik

Mensik and Cobolli will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers after they previously faced each other on the indoor hard courts of the Helsinki Challenger in 2023 (won by Mensik in two tight sets). It’s safe to say that they are long way from Helsinki in 2025. This time a spot in the second week of Wimbledon will at stake when these two rising stars square off on Saturday.

Mensik’s recent surge has been especially impressive. The 19-year-old Czech is already up to No. 17 in the world thanks in part to a Masters 1000 title in Miami. It hasn’t quite been full steam ahead since then for Mensik, but he has looked good this week with four-set victories over Hugo Gaston and Marcos Giron. Cobolli did not drop a single set while defeating Beibit Zhukayev and Jack Pinnington Jones. The 24th-ranked Italian is an outstanding athlete who can win with both offense and defense, but Mensik’s serve and backhand will be the two biggest weapons in this matchup. On grass, that firepower could be the difference.

Pick: Mensik in 4

Miomir Kecmanovic vs. (6) Novak Djokovic

Djokovic hasn’t really been talked about much so far at these Championships–and when you are one of top seeds, that’s a good thing. Whereas a whole host of other highly ranked players have already crashed out of the tournament, Djokovic is simply going about his business. The 38-year-old Serb advanced through the first two rounds with little trouble. Djokovic did drop one set at the hands of Alexandre Muller, but he dominated the next two 6-2, 6-2 and then erased Dan Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 on Thursday.

Up next for the seven-time Wimbledon champion is a fourth meeting with Kecmanovic. All three of their previous encounters have gone Djokovic’s way, including in the same round of this same event in 2022 via a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 beatdown. There is no reason to think that anything will be much different three years later. Kecmanovic is just 16-16 this season (2-2 grass) and he needed a total of nine sets to get past Alex Michelsen and Jesper de Jong. The world No. 49 has zero belief against his compatriot–and probably for good reason!–so this one might as well be over before they even take the court.

Pick: Djokovic in 3