Jakub Mensik shocks idol Novak Djokovic to win first title at Miami Open

By Harvey Fialkov

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jakub Menšík was only a year old when Novak Djokovic won his first Miami Open for his fourth title, but by far his most significant at the time.

The slender Serb was 19.

On a rainy Sunday that delayed the men’s final for 5½ hours, history repeated itself. It was the Kid shocking the G.O.A.T. as the 19-year-old Czech outplayed his mentor in a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 2-hour, 3-minute crispy-clean match to win the Miami Open presented by Itaú, for his first title and a Masters 1000 at that.

He is the ninth youngest player to win a Masters 1000 title and the second youngest Miami Open champion behind Carlos Alcaraz, who won in 2022 when he was 18, and the first Czech to win a Masters 1000 since Tomas Berdych won the 2005 Paris Masters.

“The feelings will come a little bit later, but even now, I’m starting to realize that it was incredible, all week, all two weeks, actually,’’ he said. “My game was getting better and better. Actually, winning tonight against Novak in the tiebreakers, it feels crazy, incredible.

“I was watching him growing up. Because of him, basically I started to play tennis. So, it just feels incredible that I had the opportunity for a second time to play against him. And to beat him in this tournament in the finals, it was just a dream to win an ATP tournament, and even better that it’s a 1000. Yeah, playing against Novak in the finals makes it more special.”

Coming in at 54th in the rankings, Mensik becomes the lowest-ranked player to win this prestigious tournament, overtaking No. 45 Tim Mayotte, who won the inaugural tournament held in Delray Beach in 1985. His rank will now soar to a career-high No. 24, and he will pocket $1.1 million and take home the crystal Butch Buchholz trophy.

To think, the 6-foot-4 Mensik revealed after the match that he was about to sign withdrawal papers on the day before his first-round match against Roberto Bautista Agut, because of such pain in his right knee that he couldn’t run or walk properly.

In his on-court victory speech he credited ATP physio Alejandro Resnicoff for fixing his knee, thus enabling him to topple No. 7 Jack Draper, No. 20 Arthur Fils, No. 4 Taylor Fritz and of course, No. 5 Djokovic.

“I tried to step on the treadmill and couldn’t move, so I said, ‘OK, that’s it, I’m pulling out,’ ’’ he said. “I went to the doctor’s office with the paper. I was going to the physio while I was visiting the referee’s office to say, ‘Guy’s I’m pulling out,’ but he was having lunch.”

Just think, if the referee wasn’t hungry, Djokovic might’ve won his 100th title.

Very little separated these two friendly warriors. Both were struggling in the 80-percent humidity following the almost 6-hour rain delay, especially Djokovic, who turns 38 in almost two months.

(This matchup was the largest age gap in Masters 1000 history and biggest age disparity of any tour-level final since 41-year-old Ken Rosewall defeated 22-year-old Raul Ramirez 6-3, 6-3 in the 1976 Jackson (Miss.) World Championship Tennis Final.)

Djokovic went through a closetful of shirts and fell on the court four times, three from slipping on wet spots outside the alleys and one self-inflicted collapse after a 21-stroke rally that gave Mensik a 3-2 mini-break lead that he wouldn’t relinquish in the decisive tiebreaker.

Djokovic appeared to show up at his morning practice with puffiness under his right eye, which looked like a stye. But he refused to offer any excuses for his loss, whether it was the humidity, rain delay or his undisclosed eye issue, but rather would only heap praise on his protégé.

Mensik broke Djokovic’s serve in the first set, but that was the last time. He led 3-0 but Djokovic got the break back at 2-4 when Mensik couldn’t handle the Serb’s two-fisted backhand.

The fans packed the stadium despite waiting around for six hours, and they were clearly behind the legend, chanting, “Novak, Novak, Novak.’’ The tournament drew a record 405,448 fans.

The turning point in the first-set tiebreaker came after Djokovic retrieved a drop shot and sent what appeared to be a winning lob over Mensik’s shoulder, however, he showed off his hops and smacked a jumping one-handed backhand smash, a-la Pete Sampras, for a 4-0 lead he wouldn’t relinquish. On set point, Djokovic slipped in midpoint and couldn’t get up in time to retrieve Mensik’s overhead blast.

Djokovic complained about the wet spots and the towels were brought out during the set break.

Mensik won 84 percent of his first-service points, mostly in the 130-mph range, in the opening set and slammed seven of his 14 aces, giving him 111 for the tournament. Both players were only broken once, but Djokovic tired in the second set and saw his unforced errors rise from four to 20, while Mensik smacked 29 winners to Djokovic’s 22.

In the second set tied at 5-5, Djokovic trailed 15-30 when he chased down an angled backhand from Mensik in the alley, and delivered a trademark crosscourt backhand rocket that Mensik could only admire. Djokovic then conducted the crowd into an uproar and more chants of “Novak!”

However, in the ensuing tiebreaker, an exhausted Djokovic sent two uncharacteristic backhands into the net. He began to smack his tired legs to get them moving, but to no avail. While serving at 3-4, he lost both serves on two more unforced errors to set up match point.

Mensik let Djokovic’s service return go, thinking it was out, but instead it grazed the back of the baseline. After Mensik served a 124-mph wide serve only to see Djokovic hit a lunging return over the baseline on his second match point, he collapsed on the court and gave his idol a long hug before walking away in tears.

He then signed the camera lens: #1st of many.

“Right now, this is the biggest win of my career by far, but I know that this is not the end,’’ Mensik said. “I know that this is just the beginning for me and I’m still 19 years old so I have my whole career in front of me. Of course, it feels really great to have this [trophy] next to me, but it’s not just about one title or one tournament. I’m hungry for more.”

The match came down to tiebreakers which Djokovic excels at, winning more than 66 percent of the extra sessions, which is the best in history. However, Mensik went 7-0 in tiebreakers, including two against Draper and two against Fritz.

“In the tiebreakers, I knew that if I can really start to focus on my return, just put the ball in,’’ he said. “And then give my best in the rallies, and actually, I did that in the tiebreakers. I didn’t do much mistakes like I was doing during the whole set, and actually, he was the one who did the first mistake.

“I don’t know if I was just lucky or maybe if just the tactic was good, because today after the rain it was super humid, and it was just crazy. The rallies were long, so I was feeling really very tired after few points with him. So, yeah, I’m just glad that it didn’t go to the third set.”

It was the teenager with the big serve against arguably the greatest returner in history.

Why did the youngster prevail? Djokovic had a one-word answer.

“Serve,’’ he said. “You have a big serve and he’s been serving consistently 20 aces a match, I mean, in the tiebreak, each player serves two points, and he puts so much pressure. You make one mistake, two, you’re down a mini break, and then he starts serving big and it’s gone. Tiebreak is gone, basically.”

He’s the second teen to beat two Top-5 players (Fritz and Djokovic) in a hard-court final since Michael Chang knocked off No. 2 Jim Courier and No. 5 Ivan Lendl, Mensik’s iconic countryman, at the 1991 Grand Slam Cup.

Mensik has won his last seven matches against Top 10 players and is 7-2 overall.

Mensik is the fourth player to win first title at a Masters1000 along with Roberto Carretero, Chris Woodruff and Albert Portas.

While Mensik achieved a litany of firsts he deprived his idol of reaching the century club (100 titles) to join Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109). He also kept Djokovic tied with Andre Agassi for the most Miami Open titles at six.

“I’m never really happy to lose, but he’s one of the very few players that I would be happier to lose to, to be honest. I have seen him play when he was 15 or 16 and invited him [to Belgrade]. We had some training blocks together,’’ said Djokovic, who noticed the potential of a 16-year-old Mensik when he lost a 3-hour, 43-minute final while cramping in the 2022 Australian Open Junior final.

“He was training at my club in Belgrade, and to see his development and evolution is really great, amazing. I could see back then already that three, four years ago that he’s going to be one of the top players of the world.

“I’m super glad that he’s using the potential that he has, because he’s got the complete game. Obviously, his serve is incredible, powerful, precise, and he wins a lot of free points with the first serve.

“Backhand, as well, you know, Czech school, they always have a great backhand. But forehand, he’s improved a lot. And movement for a tall, big guy like that, he slides and moves well. He still can improve, of course. So, I’m sure we’ll be seeing him around.”

Perhaps the teacher taught the student too well.

Djokovic said their Eastern European background and the fact they shared the same physio and Gotta Tennis analytic company, also drew him to Mensik, who grew up in Prostejov, a small town in Czechia, where two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is from, and where he used to watch his favorite players, Berdych and Radek Stepanek, train at the national tennis center.

The two have practiced several times, but not for a year-and-a-half or since Djokovic eked out a 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal victory in the October 2024 China Masters, which was the Serb’s last final berth until Sunday.

“During the match I had a couple of flashbacks,’’ he admitted. “Also in Shanghai, I won the first set 7-6, so I didn’t play well in the beginning of the second set in Shanghai, which I tried to stay focused, stay all the time on my serve, which I did, and I’m really glad, because otherwise playing third set against him, it would be tough.”

Although this young man already possesses one of the most potent serves in the sport, his victory is comparable to a 24-year-old Cassius Clay knocking out 34-year-old Sonny Liston.

It was literally a 100-1 shot matchup, with Mensik vying for just his maiden title.

The student schooled the teacher.