In a dramatic comeback at the Miami Open final, Jakub Mensik beat his childhood hero Novak Djokovic to secure a spot against Daniil Medvedev. With this win, he prevented the tennis great from winning his historic 100th pro title. The 37-year-old Djokovic, who has long been a dominant force in the sport with a record 24 Grand Slam victories, struggled against Mensik’s speed and creative play. Prior to this match, Djokovic had not lost a first set in the entire tournament. On Sunday, he just didn’t have an answer to Mensik’s all-powerful day.
Djokovic was looking to match tennis greats Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as one of just three men in the Open Era with 100 or more career titles. Alas, for Williams, his quest was thwarted. Djokovic, unfortunately, had to deal with an eye infection that really interfered with the final. This left him unable to play at his elite level. Mensik took full advantage of this oddity, breaking Djokovic’s first-serve game to take a 2-0 lead and going on to win.
Djokovic’s Impressive Career Record
Over the course of his storied career, Djokovic has played 307 ATP Tour-level tournaments as previews, winning 99 of them. His Hall of Fame résumé includes playing 76 Grand Slams and winning his first career title at the Miami Open in 2007. Facing Mensik in the Miami Open final was always going to be a tough ask.
Mensik, who could only manage one game against Djokovic in their last encounter in straight sets in October’s Shanghai Masters, made tremendous strides. He showed tremendous fortitude the entire match. His victory over Djokovic was a huge personal breakthrough. It highlighted his remarkable development as a player.
Mensik’s Inspiration
The 21-year-old Czech player, who looks up to the world No. 1, told the humbled tennis legend how much he admired him.
“My tennis inspiration is Novak Djokovic. Because of him, I started to play tennis. He’s my biggest idol.” – Jakub Mensik
This upset of his idol represents a high point in Mensik’s young career, with so much more to come moving forward.
A Setback for Djokovic
Even with the disaster in Miami, Djokovic is still a scary sight lurking at the bottom of any tournament’s draw. In a career filled with accomplishments and awards. Such achievements have long cemented his legacy as the greatest Red Sox and one of the best players to ever play the sport. The loss to Mensik prevented him from reaching his elusive 100th title. It was equally a demonstration of the emergence of exciting new talent in the game.
