Czech teen sensation Jakub Mensik stunned Novak Djokovic in straight sets 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) to clinch the Miami Open championship at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The 19-year-old world number 54 captured his maiden ATP Tour title in impressive fashion.
The victory prevented Djokovic from reaching the milestone of 100 professional tennis titles in his illustrious career.
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Mensik overcame rain delays and a determined Djokovic to claim the Miami Open title. At 19, he became the second-youngest champion in the tournament’s history, following Carlos Alcaraz, who won as an 18-year-old in 2022.
The match was delayed for nearly six hours due to rain in Florida, leaving Mensik with plenty of time to process the challenge ahead — preventing Djokovic from clinching his 100th career title.
Born in September 2005, when Djokovic had already broken into the ATP top-100, Mensik refused to be overwhelmed by the occasion. Instead, he delivered a near-flawless performance, using his powerful serve and aggressive baseline game to become the first Czech player since Tomas Berdych in 2005 to win an ATP Masters 1000 event.
Djokovic, appearing troubled by an issue under his right eye, frequently applied eye drops and consulted his team.
Still, Mensik capitalised, racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set before Djokovic clawed back. In the tie-break, Mensik dominated, building a 5-0 advantage before closing it out with an overhead smash.
The second set saw Djokovic applying pressure from the baseline, but Mensik remained composed, dropping just one break point in the match. With 77% of first-serve points won, the Czech teen sealed a statement victory, toppling a legend and etching his name in Miami Open history.
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