Djokovic is shocked by a teenaged Mensik’s loss in the Miami Open final

In a spectacular upset at the Miami Open on Sunday, 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik defeated his childhood hero Novak Djokovic 7-6(4) 7-6(4) to win his first ATP championship and deny the former number one his attempt at a historic 100th.

Despite overwhelming odds in just his second ATP final, the 54th-ranked Mensik used his strongest weapon to defeat the 24-time major winner with 14 aces before collapsing onto the court in tears after sealing the victory with an unreturnable serve.

The 37-year-old Djokovic, the oldest person to ever make it to a Masters 1000 final, had wanted to become one of just three guys in the Open Era to win 100 or more titles, along with Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109), but ultimately lost steam.

During the prize ceremony, Mensik told his opponent, “You were the reason I began playing tennis when I was young.” “There is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the finals of a tournament.”

After several hours of rain delays, Djokovic finally made it to the court. He was swollen near his right eye and looked unsteady when he gave Mensik a break in the second game with a poor shot out of bounds.

As his hordes of loyal supporters in Hard Rock Stadium cheered him on and put eye drops on his injured eye during the changeover, he stumbled and fell in the fifth game and took his time getting back up off the court.

The Serb tied the score in the seventh but lost his temper when Mensik took a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak. He was furious at his box, where Andy Murray, his former opponent and now coach, was sitting stonily.

Meanwhile, the Czech maintained his composure and pumped his fist in triumph as he used an overhead smash to seal the set.

THE SECOND SET

In an exciting second set, the two players fought toe-to-toe, with Mensik using his pace to counter Djokovic’s delicate drop shots at the net.

Djokovic demonstrated his seasoned survival skills by avoiding two break points in the fifth game, but he eventually began to show signs of strain and tear before giving up after a 21-shot rally in the tiebreak.

Mensik, then 16 years old, had previously been invited to train with Djok when the latter advanced to the Australian Open juniors final in 2022. “It hurts me to admit it but you were better,” Djokovic stated.

“In the clutch moments, you delivered the goods.”

Mensik defeated third seed Taylor Fritz on his way to the final, and the victory completed an incredible run through the tournament.

“To be honest, I’m at a loss for words. “Obviously, it feels amazing,” he added during his on-court statements.

Mensik gave his physio full credit for keeping his aspirations alive after he said he almost quit the competition an hour before his first match because of knee pain, which made the victory all the more wonderful.

“I came for treatment, needed a miracle,” Mensik stated. “And because of him I stepped on the court and because of him I’m standing here.”