Djokovic had only lost one previous Miami final before being beaten by Mensik, having won a joint-record six titles at the Floridian Masters 1000 tournament.
With the final being delayed for hours due to a rain delay, Mensik noticed Djokovic struggling during the match and was able to capitalise on his opponents vulnerability.
While Djokovic was bidding for his 100th title, Mensik winning the Miami Open was his first on the main ATP Tour.
Novak Djokovic sends message to Jakub Mensik after Miami Open final
In the post-match ceremony, Djokovic was very complimentary towards Mensik, who he has previously suggested could be a future challenger to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
This gesture was noticed by many people across the tennis world, with Martina Navratilova praising Djokovic for his actions.
Djokovic has continued his warm words towards Mensik, sending a message to the Czech teenager on social media after their Miami Open final.
In his Instagram post the 24-time Grand Slam champion wrote, “Congratulations Jakub. This is your moment! Enjoy it and keep striving for more. And thank you, @MiamiOpen. Great tournament, amazing support. Hope to be back again soon.”
The Miami Open was Djokovic’s first ATP Final since the Shanghai Masters in October, where he was beaten by world number one Jannik Sinner.
What is next for Novak Djokovic?
Djokovic will attempt to put the disappointment of his Miami Open final defeat behind him, as he looks ahead to the clay court season.
The Serbian has won all of the big clay court tournaments that he is set to play once again, but was unable to add to his collection last year.
Djokovic’s most successful clay court event is the Italian Open, having won six titles at the Rome tournament.
However, the Italian Open was actually his worst-performing clay court tournament last year, with Djokovic losing to Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.
Disappointment followed in a different fashion at Roland Garros, with Djokovic suffering a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from his quarter-final with Casper Ruud.
Leave a Reply