Miami Open: Unseeded teenager Jakub Menšík denies idol Novak Djokovic his 100th career title

(CNN) — Teenager Jakub Menšík denied boyhood idol Novak Djokovic of his 100th career title, stunning the 24-time grand slam singles champion 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in Sunday’s Miami Open final.

The 19-year-old, ranked No. 54 in the world, hammered down 14 aces in an impressively confident display of power and guile in what was by far the biggest moment of his young career.

“When I was young, I started playing tennis because of you,” Menšík said to Djokovic in his on-court interview. “There is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the final of a tournament.

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done in this sport for everyone.”

In claiming his first career ATP title, Menšík becomes the second-youngest winner of the Miami Open after Carlos Alcaraz in 2022 and will climb to a career-high No. 24 in the world.

Incredibly, Menšík very nearly didn’t play at all in Miami.

Ahead of his first-round match against No. 6 seed Jack Draper, Menšík was suffering with knee pain and went to the tournament referee’s office with the intention of withdrawing from the Miami Open.

“I was just lucky then that the referee was having lunch,” he said.

Instead, Menšík received treatment from the physiotherapist and took some pain killers, relieving his knee pain enough to take the court.

He said he then “somehow” beat Great Britain’s Draper in two tie-breaks, before his knee began to improve with each passing day.

Menšík publicly credited ATP physio Alejandro Resnicoff during his on-court interview for getting him fit enough to play.

“I came for treatment, he did a miracle and because of him I stepped onto the court,” he said. “And because of him I’m standing here.”

Menšík’s stunning run to the title also included wins over No. 3 seed Taylor Fritz and No. 17 seed Arthur Fils.

For Djokovic, the wait to join Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors as the only men to win 100 titles in the Open Era goes on.

The 37-year-old appeared to be experiencing discomfort with his right eye during the match, applying drops during changeovers.

Despite the disappointment of defeat, however, Djokovic will surely be pleased with his significant improvements in Miami after coming into the tournament with a 7-4 record to start the season.

“This is Jakub’s moment,” Djokovic said. “The moment of his team, the moment of his family. Congratulations, unbelievable tournament. The first of many.

“It hurts me to admit it, but you were better. In the clutch moments, you delivered the goods. Unbelievable serving and just a phenomenal effort mentally as well to be able to stay tough in the difficult moments.

“For a young player like yourself, this is a great feature and something that I’m sure you will use many, many times in the years to follow.”

The-CNN-Wire
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