By Victor Kanayo
Novak Djokovic has suffered yet another high-profile defeat in tennis history.
This came after Czech teenager Jakub Mensik defeated him to win the Miami Open, despite nearly withdrawing due to a knee injury just hours before his first-round match.
Mensik, 19, went to the referee’s room to announce his withdrawal before his opener against Roberto Bautista Agut on 20 March, but the official was out for lunch.
He then approached the physiotherapist to fill out the withdrawal paperwork but was persuaded to stay on.
The physiotherapist assessed that the injury was not serious and began treatment to enable him to compete.
Mensik dropped just two sets on his way to the final, securing victories over British number one Jack Draper and fourth seed Taylor Fritz.
He clinched his first ATP Tour title with a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) win over Serbia’s Djokovic on a sticky, humid night in Florida.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, had been bidding to become just the third man in the Open era to win 100 singles titles.
However, the 37-year-old’s wait continues after his loss to Mensik, who was just 10 months old when Djokovic won his first title in 2006.
Mensik is the ninth-youngest Masters 1000 champion and the second-youngest in Miami, after Carlos Alcaraz.
He is another rising star in men’s tennis, possessing a huge serve and a tumbling backhand that has propelled him into the world’s top 50.
Djokovic first invited Mensik to practise with him after the 2022 Australian Open when the teenager was still a junior. In his winner’s speech, Mensik said Djokovic was “the reason I am here.”
