"After Indian Wells, I was dealing with some illness" - Jakub Mensik overcoming sick bug at critical time to complete comeback

Reigning champion Jakub Mensik is not thinking about his title defence yet as he looks to safely traverse his way through the opening rounds of the Miami Open. He began with a comeback win over Adam Walton, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Mensik was under the cosh in the early stages, saving five break points in one game alone. Walton eventually got the break needed enroute to winning four games on the spin to see out the set. The Aussie was in the driving seat, but a rampant Mensik came charging back.

A break to love at each end of the second set saw him level the second round tie up before he extended into a 3-1 lead in the third set. He was in full command and kept solid on his serve to reduce any chances Walton may have to muster up a comeback. He sealed it with a hold to love, surviving a minor scare to progress into the third round while continuing his unbeaten streak in the main draw of the Miami Open.

"I’m really happy to be back. Coming back here with great memories from last year makes it even more special," he told the Tennis Channel. "I was struggling a little bit in the first set, trying to find myself and the rhythm. After Indian Wells, I was dealing with some illness, so I was honestly just lucky to be ready for this tournament."

He improved throughout the match and eventually proved too good for his opponent. "I think I missed a bit of match rhythm at the start, but as the match went on, I found myself more and more. After that first set and the toilet break, my serve became pretty strong, and I also found my rhythm from the baseline, which was key."

Mensik stormed to Masters 1000 glory last year amid an ongoing knee concern. This year, he is recovering from an illness, albeit it seems that it has blown over.

"Last year it was my knee actually," he confirmed. "I’m not sick right now—I’m healthy again—but maybe the time I spent in bed with tea and honey meant I needed a bit more time to get my rhythm back. But it is what it is. I’m just happy to be here, grateful for the win, and looking forward to the next match."

A lot of talk and pressure has been lumped onto Mensik who is defending this title along with the 1000 points earned last time out. This is a whole new scenario for him, not just at this level. "It’s not just my first time defending a Masters 1000 title, but defending any title at all," he stated.

"Coming back here and seeing everything again brings back a lot of good memories. It feels a bit different than usual, but I try to focus on myself and not take pressure from the outside. Even though I won here last year, this is a new year and a new tournament. I’m just trying to improve every point and every match."

A lucky charm could be former Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi who currently plays his trade for MLS side Inter Miami. Mensik went to watch the Argentine in 2025 before doing it again this year. "Last year I did, so maybe that gave me a lucky hand," he said. "This year it was good as well. Maybe Messi is bringing me luck again—hopefully he will this time too."

Mensik proved he had the credentials to win the biggest titles in the sport, despite his young age and inexperience at the highest level. Taking on Novak Djokovic, the Czech was not fazed as he won 7-6, 7-6 in a brilliant showing.

Just 19-years-old at the time, he had already reached an ATP final a year before at the Qatar Open, losing out to Karen Khachanov. His third and most recent ATP final came right at the start of the year, winning the ASB Classic. He was unfortunate to withdraw from another tie against Djokovic at the Australian Open last-16 stage. He returned to Doha, defeating Jannik Sinner in the last-eight stage before losing to Arthur Fils a round later. He reached another quarterfinal in Dubai before an early exit at Indian Wells allowed Mensik to prepare for his title defence

This admittedly is still a long way off. "I’m only in the third round, so there’s still a long way to go," he stated, lowering expectations as he looks to stay in routine. "For me, it’s about living in the moment. Today I didn’t show the level I would like, so I’ll go back to practice, improve, and take it match by match, step by step. That’s the way I approach the next few days."

The number 12 seed does not have an easy draw coming up. A rejuvenated Frances Tiafoe will look to continue his progress in 2026 against Mensik in what is set to be an exciting matchup in Florida.