Jakub Mensik causes one of the biggest upsets of 2025, defeating former world number one Novak Djokovic in Florida.
Czech teenager Jakub Mensik upset childhood idol Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), both decided by tiebreaks, to win the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
The 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, claimed his first title on the ATP Tour and denied Djokovic his 100th professional title.
Djokovic, 37, had hoped to join Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the only men in the Open Era with 100 or more career titles but could not match the teenager’s speed and creative play.
The Sunday final was delayed by almost six hours due to heavy rain, and when the players emerged, it was clear that Djokovic had an eye infection.
Mensik started strongly, breaking Djokovic’s first-serve game to go 2-0 up. The tall, big-serving Czech was dominating until, at 4-2, Djokovic broke back when Mensik found the net.
The set remained on serve from then on but in the tie-break, Mensik’s powerful serve, with two aces, put him in charge from the outset. He opened up a 5-0 lead and although Djokovic fought back, the youngster sealed the set with an overhead volley.
It was the first set that Djokovic had lost in the entire tournament.
The second set was a nip-and-tuck affair with neither player able to break.
Once again, Mensik’s power proved decisive in the tie-break and when Djokovic went long on a return to hand him victory, he fell to his back.
One for the ages
The match between the 37-year-old Djokovic and Mensik was the biggest age gap difference in a Masters 1000 final and the biggest age gap of any tour level since 1976. Mensik was playing his first ATP 1000 final. He was not quite two years old when Djokovic won his first Miami Open title in 2007.
Djokovic had beaten Mensik in straight sets at the Shanghai Masters in October, the only time they have met on court.
“My tennis inspiration is Novak Djokovic. Because of him, I started to play tennis. He’s my biggest idol,” Mensik told ATP Tour in an interview last year.
Djokovic has played 307 ATP Tour-level tournaments in his storied career and triumphed in 99 of them. Of the 76 Grand Slams he has entered, the Serbian has won a men’s record 24.
