- Novak Djokovic was looking for his first ATP title of 2025 in Miami, and the 100th of his career.
- The Serbian reached the final of the Miami Open and was favored against teenager Jakub Mensik.
- However, Djokovic was upset by 19-year-old Mensik, who was 54th in the ATP rankings before the tournament, now up to 24th with his first ATP title.
Novak Djokovic isn’t at the peak of his powers anymore, but the 37-year-old is still a top-five player in the tennis world. He has been inconsistent in 2025, largely due to injury, but Djokovic was on the cusp of his first win of the year in Miami.
However, rising tennis star Jakub Mensik had other plans. The 19-year-old shocked Djokovic to win in straight sets in the final of the Miami Open to capture his maiden ATP title.
Both Sets Go to Tiebreakers, But Mensik Shows His Mettle
In a fantastic match that lasted just over two hours, the young Czech took down Djokovic with scores of 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) in Miami on Sunday.
It was a special win for Mensik, as Djokovic is his idol and the reason he started playing tennis. It capped a terrific weekend for Mensik, who also beat third-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the semifinals, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4). Overall, it was a tough tournament if you were taking top players in your best tennis predictions. Fritz, Djokovic, and #15 Grigor Dimitrov were the only seeds in the top 15 to make it past the fourth round.
As for the champion, who will turn 20 in September, the future looks very bright. Mensik is now a career-high 24th in the ATP rankings and looks ready for more of the same.
He went to the third round of the U.S. Open for the second straight year, and carried that into the Australian Open, where Mensik lost in the third round as well. The teenager also had to battle the elements as Miami was hit with pouring rain, so the match was delayed about five hours. The young Czech was also dealing with knee pain.
But Mensik showed a lot of heart to pull out the victory, taking down his idol, who was very gracious in defeat.
What Does This Mean for Novak Djokovic?
Overall, you shouldn’t take too much from this loss for Djokovic, who had won all five previous matches in straight sets heading into the final. He was brilliant against Dimitrov, handling the Bulgarian, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals. Occasionally, you just run into another player having a better day, and that was Mensik on Sunday.
The Serbian is still one of the top three favorites for the French Open, which he won in 2016, 2021, and 2023. Djokovic also beat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz for the gold medal on the clay of Roland Garros in Paris at the 2024 Olympics. Djokovic will likely be back in action at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, a tournament “Joker” won in 2013 and 2015, starting on April 6.
Expect the 24-time Grand Slam winner to pick himself up, dust himself off, and be a threat to win in Monte-Carlo, where Djokovic lives.