Jakub Mensik caused one of the biggest upheavals of 2025, defeating former world number one Novak Jjokovic in Florida.
Czech teenager Jakub Mensick confused childhood idol Novak Djokovic with a straight set.
Ranked 54th in the world, the 19-year-old won his first title on the ATP Tour, with Djokovic rejecting his 100th professional title.
Djokovic, 37, wanted Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) to join as the only male in the open era with over 100 career titles, but failed to match the speed and creative play of the teenagers.
Sunday’s final was almost six hours late due to heavy rain, and it was clear that Djokovic had an eye infection when players appeared.
Mensic started hard, beating Djokovic’s first serve game to go 2-0. The tall, large Czechs ruled until Djokovic broke 4-2 when Mensick found the net.
The set remained in serves since then, but in the tiebreaker, Menshik’s strong serve had two aces and he was in charge from the start. He opened a 5-0 lead and Djokovic fought back, but the youngsters sealed the set with an overhead volley.
This was the first set Djokovic lost in the entire tournament.
The second set was a nip and tuck event that neither player could break.
Again, Mensik’s power proved decisive in the tiebreak, and when Djokovic went for a long time to hand over the victory, he fell on his back.
One for age
The match between 37-year-old Djokovic and Mensik was the biggest age gap difference in the Master 1000 final since 1976, and the largest age gap on tour levels. Mensik played his first ATP 1000 Finals. When Djokovic won his first Miami Open title in 2007, he wasn’t two years ago.
Djokovic defeated Mensik in a straight set at the Masters in Shanghai in October.
“My tennis inspiration is Novak Djokovic. Thanks to him, I started playing tennis. He is my biggest idol,” Mensik told the ATP Tour in an interview last year.
Djokovic played 307 ATP Tour level tournaments in his storied career, winning by 99. Of the 76 grand slams he entered, the Serbs won a men’s record of 24.
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