Strong winds of 27 mph swept across the center court at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday afternoon as tennis legend Novak Djokovic advanced to the Miami Open men’s final with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Grigor Dimitrov. Watching from the stands was none other than Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi, who witnessed Djokovic’s dominant performance that lasted just 70 minutes.
At 37 years and 10 months old, Djokovic has now become the oldest men’s finalist in a Masters 1000 event. He is set to face 19-year-old Czech sensation Jakub Mensik in the final. Mensik, who met Messi before his semifinal match against Taylor Fritz, joked that he didn’t wash his hand after shaking the football legend’s hand—crediting it as his lucky charm for the win. After his victory, he even wrote “Thx, Leo” with a heart on the camera lens.
If Djokovic wins on Sunday, it will mark his seventh Miami Open title, breaking the record he currently shares with Andre Agassi. With his win on Friday, he improved his Miami record to an impressive 21-1.
“It’s special playing in Miami because I hadn’t been here in six years, and it’s one of the best cities in the world,” Djokovic said. “It was a huge honor to have King Leo [Messi] in the stands. It was the first time I played in front of him. We’re the same age.”
Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, and Messi, who turns 38 in June, later met in the locker room. They exchanged gifts, and Djokovic had the opportunity to meet Messi’s wife and children. As a gesture of appreciation, Djokovic gifted Messi a signed shirt inscribed with: “Para la familia Messi. Con Cariño.” [For the Messi family, with love.]
“[Messi] is not just a great footballer but an incredible athlete whose impact on sports over the past 20 years has been immense,” Djokovic said. “Having him watch me live was a great joy and also a bit of pressure,” he added with a smile.
Messi’s son playfully rated Djokovic’s performance an “eight out of 10,” prompting the Serbian star to joke that he hopes to do better in the final.
“It was wonderful to meet his whole family—it was a very touching moment for me,” Djokovic said. “It’s one thing for him to come, but bringing his entire family as well… as a father myself, I know what that means. I truly valued that time with him.”
Djokovic’s semifinal against Dimitrov was historically significant, as their combined age made it the oldest semifinal in ATP Masters 1000 history. Despite the tricky wind conditions, Djokovic leaned on his powerful serve to control the match.
“My serve was definitely the highlight,” he said. “Last match, it was 83 percent, and I thought that would be tough to beat, but today it was 87 percent. Hopefully, I can keep that going in the final.”
Standing in his way is the young and fearless Mensik, who fired 25 aces to defeat third-seeded American Taylor Fritz in a thrilling 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) battle. Ranked No. 54, Mensik is the third-lowest-ranked finalist in tournament history, following No. 74 Sebastian Grosjean (1999) and No. 55 Guillermo Cañas (2007).
Overwhelmed by his journey to the final, Mensik said, “I can’t describe how I feel right now. The atmosphere was incredible, even though the crowd was cheering for the U.S. I just stayed focused. Playing against the GOAT in the final will be amazing.”
Meeting Messi was another unforgettable highlight for Mensik. As news spread that the Argentine legend was at the stadium, anticipation built for an unforgettable locker-room encounter after Djokovic’s match.
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