The man Novak Djokovic dumped out of the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals has thanked him in a statement after their match. Djokovic recovered from losing the first set to Jakub Mensik in a tiebreak to progress 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has set up a semi-final with Taylor Fritz in China. But he was made to fight for his berth in the final four after overcoming 19-year-old Czech Mensik.
Mensik is the youngest player in the ATP top 100 and is currently ranked 65th in the world. Before facing Djokovic, the teenager made clear just how big a milestone the match was for him in his career.
After beating Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov to reach his first ever Masters quarter-final, Mensik said of Djokovic: “I’m more than excited. Exciting is really a small word [for how I feel]. Obviously a dream come true.
“Because of him, I started to play tennis. When I was young and starting to play tennis, he was already on the top. So I was like, ‘Wow, he’s really good.'”
And Mensik’s appreciation for the all-conquering Serb was on full display even after losing their contest, as he expressed his gratitude for the man 18 years his senior.
The Czech No.3 wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Thank you for being such a big inspiration in my tennis journey @DjokerNole, it has meant more than words can express!
“It was truly special night, and an incredible crowd to play in front of. Living the dream. See you next year, Shanghai. Love you all!”
Djokovic secured his spot in a ninth Shanghai semi-final in what is only his 10th appearance at the tournament. He said of Mensik: “His serve is tremendous, so much pace and power and precision, very difficult to play him.
“I know him for three, four years, I’ve been following his rise through the rankings, his development.
“He’s a nice guy, super talented player, great prospect. He’s got a bright future, for sure, if he keeps going. He’s got good people around him, his physiotherapist used to be my physiotherapist, Sascha.
“So I still follow him, he knows that he’s one of my favourite players to watch, and I’m always supportive of him, so hopefully we can have some more encounters and big battles.”
Olympic gold-medallist Djokovic, eyeing his first ATP title of 2024 and what would be his 100th overall career crown, added: “China has been always a happy place, a place where I really played my best tennis throughout my career.
“So, you know, these kind of matches, against teenagers, it’s something that really motivates me, keeps me going, and pushes me to really dig deep, and to show to the world that I still got it in my legs, can still go the distance with the young guys.
“So, I’m super glad that I managed to win this very challenging match.” He will face Fritz in the semis and the American said: “We played a lot of times, and I’ve never gotten him, so I’m really, really just waiting for that.
“Excited for the chance, and waiting for that time when maybe I can get a first win on him. That is something I would be really excited about. Obviously, incredibly tough. It could be 0-10 [in the head-to-head], but I think it’s 0-9.
“But, you know, hopefully one of these times I’m due, because I’m only getting better and better I’m excited at the opportunity to play him.”
