Novak Djokovic: Serbian denied 100th ATP title by teenager Jakub Mensik in Miami Open final

Jakub Mensik denied Novak Djokovic his 100th tour-level title as he claimed his first in a rain-delayed Miami Open final; watch all the action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, NOW and the Sky Sports app

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Highlights as Jakub Mensik defeats Novak Djokovic in a rain-delayed Miami Open final

Novak Djokovic fell short in his bid to claim a 100th ATP title following a straight-sets defeat by Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final.

Djokovic was looking to join Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the only three men in the professional era with 100 or more titles, but the 37-year-old crashed to a shock 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4) defeat in humid conditions after several hours of rain delays on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Czech won his first ATP Masters 1000 final and became the second-youngest Miami champion behind Carlos Alcaraz, who won in 2022 as an 18-year-old.

The defeat leaves Djokovic, who appeared to struggle with an issue underneath his right eye, without a title on tour since the ATP Finals in 2023. His only success in 2024 came at the Olympics.

“There is no harder task in tennis than to beat him in the finals,” said Mensik, who lost his only previous meeting with Djokovic in Shanghai.

“You’re the one I idolised when I was young. I started playing tennis because of you.

“But of course I felt really great, and it’s my time so I just tried to focus on the match like I did before in previous rounds.”

Mensik, who beat world No 4 Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals and Indian Wells champion Jack Draper in an earlier round, broke the six-time Miami champion in his opening service game.

Djokovic levelled as he seized on the only break point Mensik faced in the match, but struggled on his return and lost the first five points of the opening set tie-break.

He rallied before going down 7-4 and while he found some rhythm from the back of the court, he could make no inroads against the Mensik serve and the teenager completed victory in another tie-break in the second set.

Djokovic calls it ‘a weird day’

Image:Djokovic said losing to his protege made it a little easier to digest

Djokovic admitted his opponent – 18 years his junior – was better and congratulated him on an “unbelievable tournament”.

“This is Jakub’s moment – moment of his team, moment of his family. Congratulations, unbelievable tournament,” Djokovic said.

“It hurts me to admit it but you were better! In the clutch moments, you delivered the goods. Unbelievable serving and just a phenomenal effort mentally, to stay tough in a difficult moment.”

Djokovic called it “a weird day” and said he “really prefers not to talk about” his eye, but added: “I didn’t feel my greatest on the court.”

“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,” Djokovic told reporters. “I’ve seen him play when he was 15 or 16 and invited him. We had some training blocks together. He was training at my club in Belgrade (in 2022) and to see his development and evolution is really great, amazing.

“I could see back then already 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.”

“His serve is incredible, powerful, precise and he wins a lot of free points with the first serve,” 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic added.

“Backhand as well. 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.

“It’s unfortunate for me. Two tie-breaks, weird match, weird day with the rain delay and all the things that were happening. I didn’t feel my greatest on court but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory.”

Mensik close to Miami withdrawal

Mensik revealed he nearly pulled out of the tournament due to pain in his knee

The Czech teenager revealed he had nearly pulled out of the tournament due to inflammation in his right knee.

Shortly before his opener against Roberto Bautista Agut, the 19-year-old was on his way to the referee’s room to announce his withdrawal but found that the official was out for lunch, and he visited the physio’s room instead.

“It was just a big inflammation. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t run,” Mensik told reporters. “I started to treat it, started to take painkillers. Nothing was helping. During matchday it was the same… I tried to step on the treadmill. I couldn’t move. I was like, ‘Okay, well, that’s it. I’m pulling out’.

“I was visiting the referee’s office to say ‘guys, I’m pulling out’, but he was having lunch. So okay, let’s visit the physio first. I was there and I said, ‘Hey, my knee is hurting. Just fill the paper. I’m going’.”

Mensik said that the physio worked on his knee and deemed that it was not a serious problem.

“I was like, ‘okay, let’s try one more time. I stepped on the treadmill and it was the same. But I went over the pain. I was suffering in those moments,” Mensik added.

“After a few minutes I started to feel a little relief. I took different painkillers, which helped a little bit. I was like, ‘Okay, let’s try it. It’s like 30 minutes before the match. I can walk. I can run. Let’s see’.

“Somehow I won the first round and basically then I had one day off, which of course for my knee was much better. Day by day, the knee was getting better and with that also my game.”

Menisk will rise to a career-best No 24 in Monday’s rankings, two years after he was ranked 390th in the world.

He also became the first Czech player to win an ATP Masters 1000 event since Tomas Berdych prevailed in 2005 in Paris.

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis this week?

US men’s Clay Court Championships (ATP 250) – March 31 – April 6

Grand Prix Hassan II (ATP 250) – March 31 – April 6

Tiriac Open (ATP 250) – March 31 – April 6

Credit One Charleston Open (WTA 500) – March 31 -April 6

Copa Colsanitas Zurich (WTA 250) – March 31 – April 6

Monte-Carlo up next on Sky Sports Tennis from April 6

The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters is the first of three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments played on clay. Spain’s Rafael Nadal has won 11 titles at the event, including an Open-Era record eight successive titles between 2005-2012.