Teen Sensation Jakub Mensik shocks Novak Djokovic to claim his maiden Masters title at the age of only 19.
Fans of tennis need not be worried by the retirements of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray. It appears the sport is in excellent hands.
Not long ago, the tennis world was alerted to the arrival of the immensely talented Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca; now it seems another young player is just as worthy of our attention.
Jakub Mensik has well and truly announced himself on the ATP Tour, with an astonishing victory over his idol Novak Djokovic in the final of the Miami Masters 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4).
Djokovic was chasing his 100th title and first on the ATP tour since 2023 but fell short against Mensik, who claimed his first-ever ATP title.
In reaching the final in Miami, Djokovic had become the oldest player, at 37, to reach a Masters final and was hoping that victory over Mensik would make him only the third player to win 100 titles, after Connors (109) and Federer (103).
It was, however, not to be for Djokovic, who had to taste some of his own medicine for once, coming up against an inspired Mensik, who, through an astonishing display of grit and determination, bested his idol in two tie-breaks.
Mensik used the serve, his finest weapon, to great effect, blasting down 14 aces on his way to an absolutely incredible triumph. To beat Djokovic in a final is one thing and still remains one of the toughest tasks in sport, but to defeat him in this kind of cagey match is even more impressive. It demonstrates a toughness and a level of mental fortitude that you rarely see at such a tender age.
At 6ft 4in, Mensik strikes an imposing figure on court; while his main weapon is his serve, don’t let that fool you into thinking that he is a one-dimensional dunker. Over the last week in Miami, Mensik has demonstrated excellent court coverage, consistency off both wings and power capable of denting the best defences in the game.
The roster of players who fell to Mensik in Miami includes Jack Draper, Roman Safiullin, Arthur Fils, Taylor Fritz and, of course, Djokovic.
The wealth of talent on display among some of the young players on the ATP tour is astonishing. Victory in Miami saw Mensik’s ranking shoot up to 24th in the world, but it is immensely unlikely that it will stay here.
Mensik adds his name to the likes of Fonseca and Learner Tien to further demonstrate that the future of men’s tennis is in very safe hands. When you consider Alcaraz, Sinner and Holger Rune are all under the age of 24, it confirms that the next 10 years of tennis are sure to be exhilarating.
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