From idolizing Novak Djokovic to defeating him – it’s a journey Jakub Mensik began by admitting in an ATP Tour interview last year, “Because of him, I started to play tennis. He’s my biggest idol. ‘For me it was a dream to play against [Djokovic] in Shanghai.'” That dream unfolded in Shanghai, but the Miami encounter saw Mensik write a new chapter, stunning Djokovic and leveling their head-to-head. The victory has clearly ignited something in Mensik, as he now looks to the future.

The match began hours later than scheduled because of persistent rain delays, which had disrupted the women’s doubles final earlier in the day. Visible unease marked Djokovic’s early performance; he frequently used eye drops and sought counsel from his team concerning an ailment affecting his right eye. Sensing an opportunity, the 19-year-old wasted no time, surging to a 3-0 lead in the 1st set.

Though Djokovic fought back, the young Czech held his nerve, dominating the tie-break 5-0 before sealing it with a powerful overhead smash and winning the set 7-6 (7-4).

In the 2nd set, Djokovic ramped up the pressure from the baseline, but Mensik remained unfazed. The Czech delivered a statement victory with an impressive 77% of first-serve points won and just one break point conceded. He dethroned a legend and carved his name into Miami Open history.

In a display of intense emotion, the Czech athlete fell to the court, overcome by a mixture of pain and joy, then quickly ran past the barricade to embrace his teammates. As he returned to the spotlight, he grabbed a marker and etched “#1st of many” onto the camera lens.

At just 19, Mensik has now become the 1st teenager ever to defeat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in a completed tour-level match. While four other teens have managed to take down the 24-time GS champion, none did so in such a commanding fashion. In doing so, he prevented his idol from joining the exclusive 100-title club alongside tennis icons, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.

“You’re the one I idolized when I was young,″ Mensik said to Djokovic during the ceremony after the match that lasted 2 hours, 3 minutes. “I started playing tennis because of you.″ On the other side of the net, Djokovic, always gracious in victory and defeat, shared his thoughts on the heartbreak.

Novak Djokovic shares his opinion after the Miami heartbreak

In a final match that made history with the largest age gap at a Masters 1000 event since the series began in 1990. And the biggest in nearly 50 years, Jakub Mensik, played like a seasoned warrior. A relentless series of powerful groundstrokes, culminating in 14 aces, unsettled Novak Djokovic during the 19-year-old’s match. The performance displayed remarkable courage, a decisive victory signifying the emergence of a dominant new player in men’s tennis.

For Djokovic, well, the heartbreak only deepened. After a crushing Indian Wells exit against Botic Van de Zandschulp in the opening match, before a semi-final retirement at the AO, Miami was another painful roadblock in his quest for a historic 100th title. And yet, in true champion fashion, Djokovic took the defeat with grace, offering his humble thoughts.

“I wanna end up saying thank you to the fans because you guys have brought so much joy to me in the last couple of weeks. You know I was struggling to find the level of tennis and I guess the kind of enjoyment every single match or tournament, but here without a doubt I enjoyed the most that I enjoyed in the last couple of years in any tournament. So you made that possible. I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Novak added in the trophy presentation ceremony.

With yet another heartbreaking final slipping through his grasp, the Serbian GOAT’s quest for his 100th title continues. However, do you think Novak will finally reach this milestone during the upcoming clay-court season?