Miami Open: Unseeded teenager Jakub Menšík denies idol Novak Djokovic his 100th career title

Teenager Jakub Menšík denied boyhood idol Novak Djokovic of his 100th career title, stunning the 24-time grand slam singles champion 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in Sunday’s Miami Open final.

Teenager Jakub Menšík denied boyhood idol Novak Djokovic of his 100th career title, stunning the 24-time grand slam singles champion 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in Sunday’s Miami Open final. The 19-year-old, ranked No. 54 in the world, hammered down 14 aces in an impressively confident display of power and guile in what was by far the biggest moment of his young career. “When I was young, I started playing tennis because of you,” Menšík said to Djokovic in his on-court interview. “There is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the final of a tournament. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done in this sport for everyone.” In claiming his first career ATP title, Menšík becomes the second-youngest winner of the Miami Open after Carlos Alcaraz in 2022 and will climb to a career-high No. 24 in the world. Incredibly, Menšík very nearly didn’t play at all in Miami.