Top five shocking champions at Miami Open ft. Jakub Mensik

The Miami Open has seen two unseeded champions in the last two years.

Like any other sport, tennis has also witnessed a few moments that are hard to believe. From stars rising and failing to new players taking over the world. Many amazing things have been seen on the tennis court so far.

Something similar happened at the Miami Open 2025, too, when 19-year-old Jakub Mensik defeated veteran Novak Djokovic in straight sets. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five shocking champions at the Miami Open.

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova: 2006

Svetlana Kuznetsova won the 2006 Miami Open over the likes of top names in tennis while dropping only one set throughout the competition. She started the campaign with a win over Vera Zvonareva and then stunned Swiss legend Martina Hingis. In the fourth round, she got a walkover as seventh seed Patty Schnyder was forced to retire.

He recorded a resounding victory over Japan’s Ai Sugiyama in the last eight weeks before beating top-seed Amélie Mauresmo in the semifinals. In the final, she faced five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova and won 6-4, 6-3.

The triumph was surprising because Svetlana Kuznetsova outclassed the big names such as Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, Anastasia Myskina, and more to win the title. Meanwhile, Venus Williams withdrew from the competition due to a shoulder injury.

4. John Isner: 2018

John Isner’s win at the 2018 Miami Open was quite unpredictable. The former American tennis star was seeded 14th in the competition and started strong with wins over Jiří Veselý and Mikhail Youzhny. However, he got a major boost in the fourth round when he stunned second seed Marin Cilic in straight sets.

With increased confidence, Isner took down South Korea’s Chung Hyeon and Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro to secure a spot in the final, where Alexander Zverev was waiting for him. The German tennis star won the first set on a tiebreak, but Isner resisted the pressure and defeated the fourth seed 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 6–4.

After 2010, a new champion was crowned at Key Biscayne for the first time. Additionally, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer suffered second-round exits, while Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal missed the event due to injury. As a result, not a single member of the ‘Big 4’ won a match at the 2018 edition of the Masters event.

3. Hubert Hurkacz: 2021

The 2021 Miami Open was for the new and upcoming stars, as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic decided not to participate. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, or Alexander Zverev were expected to battle for the title.

However, none of the top three seeds failed to get past the quarterfinals. With wins over Denis Kudla, Denis Shapovalov, and Milos Raonic, Hubert Hurkacz swiftly moved towards the last eight, where he faced second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek tennis star failed to deny Hurkacz and lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In the semifinals, he stunned fourth seed Andrey Rublev to set up a match against his future doubles partner, Jannik Sinner. The Polish tennis ace later beat Sinner to win his maiden Masters final 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

2. Danielle Collins: 2024

Danielle Collins was having a tough time in 2024, and it was said that the American tennis star’s prime ended in 2022. Having exited in the early rounds of several competitions, including the Australian Open and Indian Wells, Collins seemed an unlikely candidate to triumph in Miami.

The former World No. 7 arrived at the 2024 Miami Open unseeded and faced lucky loser Bernarda Pera in the first round before beating 30th seed Anastasia Potapova. She then recorded crucial victories over Elina Avanesyan and Sorana Cîrstea in the subsequent rounds to secure a spot in the last eight.

Collins defeated Caroline Garcia and Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. The American tennis star defeated Elena Rybakina to win the 2024 Miami Open title, her maiden WTA 1000 title. She reached the final of a 1000 event only once and won. She also went on a 15-match unbeaten streak later.

1. Jakub Mensik: 2025

After a series of mediocre performances in the early months of the year, Jakub Mensik entered this tournament with almost no hope. No one expected the Czech tennis star to win the Miami Open 2025 over some big names like Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz, and Novak Djokovic. However, the 19-year-old was determined to add a chapter to history at Miami Gardens.

He started his campaign with a win over veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. In the second round, he handed Indian Wells champion Jack Draper a hard-fought straight-set defeat. Jakub Mensik sailed past Roman Safiullin and got a walkover from countryman Tomas Machac. He stunned Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals and last year’s US Open runner-up, Taylor Fritz, in the final four.

With the win over the third seed, Jakub Mensik was set to face 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the final. The 19-year-old outperformed the Serb on his second serve and smashed 14 aces, compared to Djokovic’s seven. Ranked 45 in the world, Mansik won his maiden ATP title at one of the greatest venues, Miami Gardens.

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