On Sunday, Novak Djokovic was chasing his 100 ATP title but Jakub Mensik made sure he made his idol wait for the glorious record. The 19-year-old registered a 7-6, 7-6 win against the veteran Serbian to claim his maiden ATP 1000 Masters title.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted he is never happy to lose but said Mensik is one of the few players he would be happy to lose to. Djokovic has been observing Mensik from close quarters and shared his delight to see him rise through the ranks.
“Congratulations to Mensik and his team. Never really happy to lose, but he’s one of the very few players that I would be happier to lose to, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “I have seen him play when he was 15 or 16 and invited him, we had some training blocks together. He was training at my club in Belgrade, and to see his development and evolution is really great, amazing.”
Djokovic revealed that he saw the potential in Mensik to go a long way in his career and win big titles on the tour.
“I could see back then already — three, four years ago — that he’s going to be one of the top players of the world,” Djokovic said. “I’m super glad that he’s using the potential that he has, because he’s got the complete game. Obviously his serve is incredible, powerful, precise, wins a lot of free points with the first serve.
“Backhand, as well. Czech school, they always have a great backhand. But forehand, he’s improved a lot. And movement for a tall, big guy like that, he slides and moves well. He still can improve, of course. So I’m sure we’ll be seeing him around.”
In 2024, Djokovic had bested the youngster in the quarterfinal of the Shanghai Masters but he admitted he wasn’t at his absolute best in Miami.
“I think he was serving even better than he was serving in Shanghai, and there he was serving really well,” Djokovic said. “I think game was similar, but my level was not like it was in Shanghai.”
Djokovic would keep hunting for his 100th title.
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