March 31, (THEWILL) – Jakub Menšík claimed his first ATP title by defeating Novak Djokovic 7-6(4) 7-6(4) in the Miami Open final at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Czech player, currently ranked 54th in the world, prevented Djokovic from capturing his 100th ATP Tour title in a match delayed by rain for more than five hours.
Djokovic, who had not competed in a regular ATP Tour event since November 2023, advanced to the final without facing any top 14 players.
His run included victories over Grigor Dimitrov (world No. 15), Sebastian Korda (world No. 25), and Lorenzo Musetti (world No. 16).
The 37-year-old Serbian dealt with vision issues during the final, frequently adjusting his contact lenses due to a stye under his right eye.
“Never really happy to lose, but he is one of the very few players that I would be happier to lose to,” Djokovic stated in his post-match news conference.
The Serbian champion had previously invited Menšík to train at his club in Belgrade when the Czech player was 16 years old.
“I could see back then already that he is going to be one of the top players of the world,” Djokovic added, praising Menšík’s powerful serve, backhand, and movement.
The victory is a significant breakthrough for Menšík, who showed both power and precision throughout the tournament.
His 135 mph serve and strong baseline game proved effective against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Following his semifinal win over Taylor Fritz, Menšík had declared himself ready to challenge the best, stating he had become smarter and more experienced since his previous loss to Djokovic in China.
Djokovic now turns his attention to the European clay court season, planning to compete in Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome before the French Open.
Despite the disappointment in Miami, he remains optimistic about his form, noting, “It was an amazing run. Unfortunately ended with a loss in the finals, but I played some really good tennis up to today.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
