Novak Djokovic was struggling with a stye on his eye and showed frustration towards his team during the 7-6, 7-6 defeat by 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final
Novak Djokovic was left with a “sour taste” in his mouth after losing to Jakub Mensik in a huge shock in the final of the Miami Open. Mensik beat his idol 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in an upset for the ages in the humidity of the Hard Rock Stadium, but only after the final was delayed by five and a half hours due to rain.
It was an incredible performance from Mensik, who hit 14 aces to claim his first Masters 1000 title while denying Djokovic his landmark 100th career title.
Djokovic was struggling with a stye under his right eye and showed his frustration towards his box in the closing stages, where his coach Andy Murray sat.
The 37-year-old tried his best to remain magnanimous in defeat, sharing a heartfelt and sweaty hug with Mensik after his winning moment. And the Czech youngster paid tribute to 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, calling him “the reason I’m here”, an “incredible person” and “the greatest of all time”.
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“I don’t want to talk too much,” Djokovic responded in his on-court interview. “This is Jakub’s moment and a moment for his team and family. Congratulations.
“Unbelievable tournament. First of many. It hurts me to admit it but you were better. In the clutch moments you delivered the goods. Unbelievable serving.
“Just a phenomenal effort mentally to stay in the difficult moments. For a young player like yourself this is a great feature. Something you’ll use many times in the years to follow. I wish you the best of luck. Maybe you’ll let me win one of the next times we play.”
But the Serbian had a slightly different tone in his press conference, where he hinted at the external factors that hampered his game. “It’s never pleasant to lose, but I have to say that Jakub is one of the few players against whom I am most joyful to fall in a final, to be honest,” he said.
“I met him when he was 15 or 16 years old and invited him to train together in Belgrade. Seeing his evolution is fantastic. Three or four years ago, I already predicted that he would become one of the best in the world, so I am very happy that he is harnessing his potential. It was a strange match, I didn’t feel quite right at any moment.
“There is nothing that can detract from Mensik’s victory, so I prefer not to talk about certain things… I don’t want it to seem like I am justifying my defeat – it is the same for both players, and you have to accept all circumstances.
“I leave with a sour taste for losing the final, but I have regained good feelings both on and off the court. I am very grateful for the support received and have enjoyed the experience, besides playing well all week, except for today.”
