Teenager Jakub Mensik Stuns Novak Djokovic to Win Miami Open

In a stunning upset, 19-year-old Czech teenager Jakub Mensik defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), to claim the Miami Open title at Hard Rock Stadium, Al Jazeera reports.

The victory marks Mensik’s first title on the ATP Tour and denied Djokovic his milestone 100th professional title.

Mensik, ranked 54th in the world, showcased impressive speed and creative play to overcome the 37-year-old Djokovic, who was aiming to join Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as the only men in the Open Era with 100 or more career titles.

The Sunday final was delayed by nearly six hours due to heavy rain. Upon resumption, it became evident that Djokovic was battling an eye infection.

Mensik started strong, breaking Djokovic’s first serve to take a 2-0 lead. The Czech player, known for his powerful serve, maintained control until Djokovic broke back at 4-2 after Mensik hit the net.

The set remained on serve, leading to a tie-break where Mensik’s dominance continued. Two aces helped him to a 5-0 lead. Although Djokovic fought back, the youngster secured the set with an overhead volley, marking the first set Djokovic had lost in the entire tournament.

The second set was closely contested, with neither player able to break serve.

In the tie-break, Mensik’s power again proved decisive. When Djokovic returned a shot long, giving Mensik victory, the young Czech player fell to his back in celebration.

The match highlighted a significant age gap, with the difference between Djokovic and Mensik being the largest in a Masters 1000 final and the largest in any tour-level final since 1976. Mensik was competing in his first ATP 1000 final and was under two years old when Djokovic won his first Miami Open title in 2007.

Djokovic had previously defeated Mensik in straight sets at the Shanghai Masters in October, their only prior encounter. The Miami Open marked Djokovic’s 307th ATP Tour-level tournament, having triumphed in 99 of them. Of the 76 Grand Slams Djokovic has entered, he has won a record 24 men’s singles titles.