You may not know much about 19-year-old Jakub Mensik, but he will not surprise Novak Djokovic. He’s been aware of the kid’s talent for a time and has even utilised it to help him stay sharp.
“Jakub is somebody that I’ve been following for the last three or four years,” Djokovic said when they played last fall in Shanghai. “We like playing each other, we raise the level when we face each other. We’ve played a lot of practice sets and it’s always fun.”
“I haven’t trained with him for a year and a half, so I could see today why he is one of the best servers we have in the game.”
That quarterfinal was the only official meeting between the two, and Djokovic narrowly won it, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4 in a tiring two and a half hours.
“We went toe-to-toe until the last moment,” Djokovic said. “I was fortunate to find great serves in the last game, a couple of aces, that helps.”
Can we expect something similar when they play in the Miami final on Sunday? In Shanghai, Djokovic was attempting to win his 100th career championship; he fell one match short, losing to Jannik Sinner in the final. Six months later, he’s still after his 100th title. He might be becoming a touch desperate. His 38th birthday is approaching, and he no longer makes finals anytime he wants, so this will be an opportunity to win one without having to face a Top 10, or even a Top 50, opponent.
However, Mensik, who is now ranked 54th in the world, may prove to be as formidable an opponent as anyone on tour. As Djokovic recognised years ago, the 6’4″ Czech possesses Top 10 talent, which has begun to show in Miami. He’s reached the Masters 1000 final, defeating Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Arthur Fils along the way. His serve has been the tournament’s greatest shot, with his ultra-smooth action allowing him to virtually drop the ball on a dime. Even Djokovic’s famous return will be no match for 130 MPH serves that clip the lines.
The issue for Djokovic may be physical—“Can I still keep up with someone half my age, at the end of a long event?” The issue for Mensik may be mental—“Can I beat my idol, on this type of stage, and deny him his 100th title?”
