MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 28, 2025

Jakub Mensik

Press Conference

J. MENSIK/T. Fritz

7-6, 4-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Jakub, well done. You said on court maybe it was shaking Messi's hand in the locker room that helped you get through this match.

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, maybe (smiling). Obviously, meeting this legend, not even human, it's kind of not happening every day, so...

Yeah, basically I just chilled with him a little bit, shake the hand. After when I was shaking the hand, I didn't wash it before the match to bring me some luck. So probably that was the key for today (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When was the last time you won a match and you didn't break your opponent's serve?

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, it's tough. It was tough today. I don't remember, to be honest. Yeah, probably against these big servers it's always tough. Today it was super difficult.

I just have two break points during whole match. Actually, I didn't do anything wrong there. The opportunity came only in the tiebreaks, which I'm glad that I take the opportunity.

I'm just super happy that I stay focus and stayed calm during these difficult moments on the return. Yeah, that was incredible today to just handle the nerves and everything inside me.

Actually after the match, I was kind of letting all the emotions out.

Q. Sum up your emotions making your first Masters final, playing the G.O.A.T.

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, that's also big thing. Actually, for a tennis player, there is not harder task. Yeah, because of Novak, of course -- not of course, but I was watching him, I was growing up watching him, so...

It's just feels... I don't know. I don't know how does it feel. I probably will know after the match. Yeah, I already have the opportunity to practice against him, to also play a match in Shanghai. Yeah, of course right now it's different situation.

So yeah, I'm excited what Sunday will bring. Hopefully I will do better than in Shanghai.

I'm just going to go and enjoy every moment there. First or biggest final for me. Of course, to play against this player, it's like, yeah, it's going to be incredible.

Q. You said on the court that you're a different player now than you were in Shanghai. Can you talk about how are you a different player now, do you think. I wanted to ask more about what it was like to meet Lionel Messi. You wrote, Thank you, Leo, on the camera. Did you just run into him? Did you seek out to meet him or...

JAKUB MENSIK: All right. Where to start?

Yeah, actually different player. I mean, I play against Novak in Shanghai. I was kind of nervous. I'm not saying that I would be not on Sunday, also this week. But yeah, I was just nervous. I was not able to holding nerves very well in the match, which I think came few months I just grow up a little mentally.

Of course, playing right now I feel that the conditions and everything here suits me very well. I feel really comfortable on the court. So there is, like, I'm going there on Sunday to win. No doubt on that.

On Shanghai, I was just trying of course. I'm going to enjoy as well, but in Shanghai I was more enjoy and to take the experiences. Right now I'm here to win, so...

That was the answer for the first question.

Of course, yeah, Leo, like I said before, I meet this guy, it's just feels incredible. I don't know. When I heard that he's here and that he's coming to lockers, I was like, Okay, I guess before the practice I will be in the lockers.

So yeah, we were there. He was chatting with Novak. Then I don't even know who introduced me to him. I kind of met him. I shake the hand. We were chatting a little. Of course, I take the picture after.

Yeah, I was like seeing him not just winning all the Champions Leagues, World Cup, everything, just seeing also he's human. It's really also the dream came true, so yeah.

Q. You won both tiebreaks today against Fritz, then Draper, Fils. Can you talk about how you managed to come out on top on the most important points?

JAKUB MENSIK: Like I'm saying today, today it was the key. Before the previous matches, of course I had couple of opportunities during the sets. Yeah, in the tiebreaker, it's the decider. I'm just trying to show my best performance.

Of course, sometimes I feel nervous. I'm just trying to stay calm, to stay focus. It's my game. I could say that I'm mentally very well handling these pressure situations. It's also my big weapon in here.

Maybe during this year that's why I was managing to win the tiebreaks.

Q. Speaking of being different a player now, is there any particular tournament or match where you felt very confident, transformed you into the new version of you?

JAKUB MENSIK: Actually, it's just my journey. Last year was my first year on the ATP Tour, so I was taking the experiences. Everything was for me new. I came there just to enjoy, take the experiences on the matches, tournaments. Of course, I win couple of them.

When I started to came here, I was here already last year, so I know how it feels, how it is in here. I have more experiences. Of course, I finished few weeks ago my first year on the tour, so actually still pretty young.

Yeah, that's just the journey, the thing that I'm feeling. It's not just one particular match or situation, but it's all the tournaments, all the matches. Every match I'm getting better and better. That's the most important thing to improve.