Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat to unseeded Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final on Sunday, and while the Serbian tennis star acknowledged a troubling eye issue, he refused to use it as an excuse for his loss. Djokovic appeared to be battling a visible eye infection, possibly a stye, which caused swelling around his right eye. The issue became apparent after a nearly six-hour rain delay, which led to a long wait before the match could finally begin.

Despite this, Djokovic refused to dwell on the eye problem, emphasizing that it wasn’t the reason for his defeat. “I really prefer not to talk about [the eye issue],” Djokovic said. “There is quite a few things, but I prefer not to… just congratulate him. That’s it. I don’t want to sound like I’m giving excuses here for my loss.”

A Strange Day and a Slow Start

The Miami Open final was a day of unusual circumstances for Djokovic. The rain delay pushed the match’s start time from 3:00 PM to 8:45 PM local time, and the long wait seemed to disrupt his rhythm. Djokovic struggled early in the match, dropping his first service game and failing to find his usual form. During a changeover in the first set, he applied eye drops and appeared visibly troubled by the infection. Djokovic himself acknowledged that it had been a “weird day,” citing the weather delay and the oddities of the match, including two tiebreaks.

“It’s unfortunate for me,” he reflected on the match. “Two tiebreaks, just very weird match, weird day with rain delay and all the things that were happening. Honestly, I didn’t feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory.”

Praise for Jakub Mensik’s Talent and Progress

Despite his obvious disappointment, Djokovic took the time to praise Mensik for his development and potential in the sport. Djokovic spoke about his early interactions with Mensik when he was just 15 or 16 years old and noticed the young Czech’s promise from an early age. “Never really happy to lose, but he’s one of the very few players that I would be happier to lose to, to be honest,” Djokovic said.

“I’ve seen him play when he was 15 or 16 and invited him, we had some training blocks together. He was training at my club in Belgrade, and to see his development and evolution is really great, amazing,” Djokovic continued. “I could see back then already, three, four years ago that he’s going to be one of the top players of the world. I’m super glad that he’s using the potential that he has, because he’s got the complete game.”

Djokovic’s praise focused on the well-rounded nature of Mensik’s game. “Obviously his serve is incredible, powerful, precise, wins a lot of free points with the first serve,” he said. “Backhand, as well, you know. Czech school, they always have a great backhand. But forehand, he’s improved a lot. And movement for a tall, big guy like that, he slides and moves well.”

Djokovic Reflects on Positive Miami Experience

Despite the loss, Djokovic took away positive experiences from his two weeks in Miami, where he had been in excellent form throughout the tournament, not dropping a set until the final. He noted the immense support from the local crowd, who had waited for hours for the match to begin after the rain delay. “Overall obviously now bitter taste because of the loss, but Miami, as I said on the court, really brought me a lot of joy and really good sensations on and off the court,” he said.

“I was welcomed very nicely by people and supported. Incredible again tonight, great support from the stadium in the match. They were pushing me on and trying to give me strength for a comeback,” Djokovic added, acknowledging the encouragement from fans despite the loss.

Though Djokovic’s bid for a 100th career title was thwarted by Mensik’s victory, the Serb remained optimistic about his future on the court, appreciating the support he had received from the Miami crowd and reflecting on the progress he had made during the tournament.