Czech teenager Jakub Mensik completed a fairy-tale triumph at the Miami Open, defeating his childhood idol, Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) to claim his first-ever ATP Tour title on a humid Florida night Modzero Sports reports.
The 19-year-old not only took down a 24-time Grand Slam champion but also denied Djokovic his 100th career singles title, forcing the Serbian to wait longer for the milestone.
From Nearly Quitting to Glory
Mensik’s victory is even more remarkable considering he almost withdrew before his first-round match due to a knee injury.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t run,” Mensik revealed. “I started to treat it, started to take painkillers. Nothing was helping.”
The young Czech even visited the referee’s office to announce his withdrawal, but in a bizarre twist, the official was out for lunch.
“I was visiting the referee’s office to say ‘guys, I’m pulling out’, but he was having lunch,” he said.
Instead, a physiotherapist convinced him to stay, assessed the injury as non-serious, and started treatment.
“After a few minutes, I started to feel a little relief,” Mensik added.
BELIEVE IT ‼️@atptour | @mensik_jakub_ pic.twitter.com/ykz44EXqW3
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 31, 2025A Record-Breaking Feat
Mensik is now the ninth-youngest Masters 1000 champion and the second-youngest Miami Open winner after Carlos Alcaraz.
His triumph also propels him to a career-high No. 24 in the ATP world rankings—marking a meteoric rise for the young Czech, who was just 10 months old when Djokovic won his first title in 2006.
From almost pulling out to toppling a legend, Mensik’s Miami miracle is a story for the ages!
