The first big title is always special and winning the summit clash against your idol is like a cherry on the top of the cake. Jakub Mensik felt incredible after beating Novak Djokovic by 7-6, 7-6 in the final of the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
The 19-year-old brought his best to the court and had the answers against the big man. The young sensation feels his game got better and better as the tournament progressed.
“It means a lot. That’s for sure all I’m saying. The feelings will come a little bit later, but even now, I’m starting to realise that it was incredible, all the two weeks, actually,” Mensik said in his post-match press conference. “My game was getting better and better. Winning tonight against Novak in the tie-breaks feels crazy, incredible.
“I was watching him growing up. Because of him I started to play tennis. So it just feels incredible that I had the opportunity for a second time to play against him. And to beat him in this tournament in the finals, which was just a dream to win an ATP tournament, and even better that it’s a Masters 1000. Playing against Novak in the finals makes it more special.”
The Czech player revealed he was on the verge of pulling out of the tournament as he was feeling pain in his knees but later found out that it wasn’t serious.
“Two days before the first match, I started to feel my knee. I checked with the doctors, with everyone,” Mensik said. “There was nothing spectacular. It was just a big inflammation. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t run. I started to take painkillers. Nothing was helping. Actually during the match day it was the same as it was the day before. I tried to step on the treadmill. I couldn’t move. I was, like, ‘Okay, well, that’s it, I’m pulling out’.
“I didn’t do anything. I just went to the doctor’s office to take the paper. I was going to the physios while I was visiting the referee’s office to say, ‘Guys, I’m pulling out’. But he was having lunch. So I went [to] visit the physios first… He started to do a couple of treatments [for 30 minutes]. He was saying to me, ‘It’s nothing serious, You can play with this pain and nothing can happen’. After a few minutes I was starting to feel little relief. I took different painkillers, which helped a little bit. Then 30 minutes before the match I could run.
“Somehow I won the first round, and then I had one day off, which of course for my knee was much better. Day by day the knee was getting better and with that also my game.”
Mensik has vaulted by 30 places in the PIF ATP Rankings to take the career-high 24th place.
