Czech teenager Jakub Menšík defeated his boyhood hero Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in a comeback for the ages to win his maiden ATP title at the Miami Open as he spoiled the former world number one’s quest for a record-breaking 100th.
Menšík’s Powerful Serve Seals the Victory
The 54th-ranked Menšík was in for an uphill battle in just his second ATP final but used his most potent weapon to overpower the 24-time Grand Slam champion with 14 aces and burst into tears and collapsed on court, overwhelmed by emotion, when he clinched it with an unreturnable serve.
Novak Djokovic Falls Short of 100th Career Title
At 37, the oldest to appear in a Masters 1000 final, Novak Djokovic had hoped to join Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the only three Open Era men with 100 or more titles, but ran out of gas in the end.
“When I was young I started to play tennis because of you,” Menšík said to his opponent at the trophy ceremony. “There is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the finals of a tournament.”
Struggles on Court for Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic emerged on the court following hours of rain interruptions with puffiness around his right eye and looked off-balance as he gave Menšík a break with an uncoordinated out-of-bounds shot in the second game.
He slipped and fell in the fifth game, taking his time to stand up from the court again as his legion of faithful supporters in Hard Rock Stadium cheered him on, and used eye drops on his affected eye during the break.
Menšík’s Composure in the First Set
The Serb equalized in the seventh but seethed with anger as Menšík took a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak, seething at his box, where Andy Murray his former rival-turned-coach—sat impassive.
The Czech kept his cool, however, and pumped his fist in triumph as he closed out the set with an overhead smash.
A Thrilling Second Set Battle
The two fought toe-to-toe in a heart-stopping second set, with Menšík employing his quickness to his benefit to nullify Novak Djokovic’s excellent drop shots at the net.
Novak Djokovic employed the veteran’s survival reflexes when he survived two break points in the fifth game but increasingly evidenced the fatigue of the match before crumbling from exhaustion following a 21-shot rally in the tiebreak.
Novak Djokovic Acknowledges Menšík’s Brilliance
“It hurts me to admit it but you were better,” said Novak Djokovic, who had previously invited Menšík to train with him after the then-16-year-old reached the Australian Open juniors final in 2022. “In the clutch moments, you delivered the goods.”
Menšík’s Dream Run at the Miami Open
The win capped a dream run through the tournament for Menšík, who upset third seed Taylor Fritz en route to the final, “To be honest, I don’t know what to say. It feels incredible, obviously,” he said.
The win was made even sweeter as Menšík revealed he almost withdrew from the tournament an hour before his opening match because of knee trouble and credited his physio with keeping his dreams alive.
“I came for treatment, needed a miracle,” said Menšík. “And because of him I stepped on the court and because of him I’m standing here.”
