On Friday afternoon, Novak Djokovic secured his spot in the final of the Miami Open after defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3. On Sunday, the Serbian star will face Jakub Mensik in the decisive match, which could see him capture his 100th career title.
“Ever since I won my 99th, which was the Olympic Games in Paris, I’ve been playing with the prospect of winning the special hundred titles,” Djokovic acknowledged in the press conference following his semifinal win over Dimitrov, as shared by the official ATP Tour website.
“I played finals of Shanghai. I was close there. Semi-finals of Australia. Then been trying to find that necessary and much-needed level of tennis that will put me in a position to fight for a trophy, a big trophy,” he added.
Indeed, this opportunity has been a long time coming. Novak moved closer to the 100-title milestone after a stellar 2023 season, in which he claimed seven new titles and came within two of the mark. However, in 2024, he was unable to win any ATP Tour titles and only celebrated a gold medal with Serbia at the Paris Olympic Games.
“That’s what I’ve been doing this week. I’ve been very happy with the way I prepared for the tournament, the way I’ve been playing. I haven’t dropped a set,” Djokovic said. “It’s a great opportunity. Let’s see what happens.”
A tough challenge ahead for Djokovic
To reach his 100th career title, Novak Djokovic will first need to defeat Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final on Sunday. The young Czech has been one of the surprises of the tournament, having made his way to the final at just 19 years old, defeating two top-10 players in Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz along the way.
Mensik made history at the Miami Masters 1000 by becoming the third-lowest-ranked player to reach the final, having entered the tournament ranked 54th. Now, he will have the chance to claim his first ATP Tour title.
After his semifinal victory over Fritz, Mensik made it clear that facing one of his idols, Novak Djokovic, is a huge opportunity for him. “It feels incredible. For me, it was a dream to play against him in Shanghai,” he said. However, he later acknowledged: “For now, it’s a bit different. I am a better player now and I’m going to enjoy it, and it’s going to be really exciting. Let’s see what’s going to happen Sunday.”
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