In 2022, Novak Djokovic called the young Czech Jakub Mensik and gave him advice and contacts, helping the young gun continue his tennis journey. Two years later, Novak and Jakub will face in the Shanghai Masters quarter-final.
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It's a dream come true for the 19-year-old, who started to play tennis because of the legend. Djokovic was already at the top when Mensik made his first tennis steps, and the Serb is still among the world's best players many years later, extending his incredible legacy and cementing the GOAT status.
A teenager defeated two top-10 rivals in Shanghai en route to the quarter-final, adding ATP points to his tally and standing on the verge of top-50. Jakub kicked off the Shanghai Masters campaign with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 triumph over Pedro Martinez in just under two hours.
The Czech led 6-1, 5-4 and served for the win when the Spaniard stepped in and claimed three straight games to prolong the battle and his chances.
The younger player grabbed an early break in the decider and provided five comfortable holds for a winning start.
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Two days later, Jakub met the 6th seed Andrey Rublev and notched a 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory in two and a half hours, celebrating his third top-10 triumph. Mensik led 4-2 in the opening set and earned a set point in the tie break, missing it and dropping the first part of the duel after over an hour.
The young gun stepped in and delivered a double break in the second set, leveling the overall score and rattling off six of the final seven games in the decider for a place in the third round. Jakub had to wait three days to embrace his next match, battling against Alexander Shevchenko and earning a 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 victory for a place in the last 16.
The Czech played well in the opener, delivering fine holds and securing a double break. He led 3-1 in the second set before the Kazakh stepped in, erasing the deficit and prevailing in the tie break to force a decider.
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Jakub Mensik is excited about facing his idol Novak Djokovic.
A teenager shifted into a higher gear in the final set, barely losing a point in his games and sealing the deal with a double break that carried him through.
Mensik battled against another top-10 opponent and delivered a notable win to embrace his first duel against his idol, Novak Djokovic. The 19-year-old bested Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, adding the fourth top-10 triumph to his tally and remaining on the title course.
Jakub landed ten aces and dominated with his first serve. He struggled on the second but kept everything under control after getting broken two times from four chances presented to his opponent. Dimitrov recovered his game in the second set but could not follow the young gun's pace, playing against 15 break points and suffering three breaks to carry his opponent through.
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Mensik served well in the opener and made the difference with an early break in the second game.
Dimitrov earned an early break in the second set and defended multiple break points in the middle games to level the overall score and force a decider after a hold at love at 5-3.
Jakub erased a break point in the third game of the final set and clinched a break in the next one for a 3-1 advantage. Grigor saved multiple break points in the sixth game and had one last chance to extend his chances at 3-5.
The Bulgarian secured a late break to reduce the deficit and keep himself alive before the Czech delivered another break at 5-4 to move over the top and arrange the clash against the 24-time Major winner. Djokovic is through to his tenth Shanghai Masters quarter-final, seeking his first time since 2018.
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Novak defeated Alex Michelsen, Flavio Cobolli and Roman Safiullin en route to the last eight, playing well and hoping for another strong performance against the young Czech. The Serb is seeking his 100th ATP title in Shanghai, claiming the 99th at the Olympic Games in Paris.
"I'm very excited to face Novak. In fact, excitement is a small word for how I feel. It's a dream come true. I started playing tennis because of him. When I was starting to play, he was already at the top, and I could not believe how good he was.
Novak has won many Moajor titles since then, and he still competes now when I'm 19. I wished to face him since my early tennis years, and now I will have a chance. I'm really happy, and let's see what level I can produce against him," Jakub Mensik said.
