Novak Djokovic has advanced to the 2025 Miami Open final with an impressive victory over Grigor Dimitrov. Apart from the win, the Serb also took pleasure in his performance being witnessed by Lionel Messi and his family at the Hard Rock Stadium.
With a spot in the final on the line, Djokovic delivered a clinical performance to claim a 6-2, 6-3 win over Dimitrov in 70 minutes, taking a step closer to clinching his 100th career title. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is also aiming to break his tie with Andre Agassi by winning a record seventh Miami Open title.
Speaking in his on-court interview, Novak Djokovic spoke about the “great honor” of competing in front of Lionel Messi, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, and their sons for the first time in his career. The World No. 5 also expressed his admiration for the soccer legend, reflecting on how wonderful it was that they were still playing professionally at their age.
“Amazing to have him. It is a great honour to play, probably for the first time, in front of him live. I am really grateful he was here with his son and the family. I admired him of course as most of the world for most of his career and it is amazing he still keeps going. We are actually the same age, born in 1987, so it is nice to have him around,” he said.
Djokovic elaborated on his praise for Messi in his post-match press conference, highlighting the Argentine’s incredible impact on the sporting world. The 24-time Grand Slam champion also admitted that Messi’s presence caused him to feel additional pressure during his clash with Dimitrov.
“I mean, he’s such a great athlete, not just a football player. His impact on the world of sport in the last 20 years has been immense. To have him watch me live obviously brings me great, great joy and excitement, and also a bit of pressure, to be honest,” he said.
Novak Djokovic later had the opportunity to converse with Lionel Messi in the locker room after his win, with the duo exchanging jerseys to commemorate the occasion. Alongside the soccer icon, Venus Williams also made an appearance at the Miami Open to witness the blockbuster semifinal.
Novak Djokovic will come up against the winner of the semifinal between Taylor Fritz and Jakub Mensik in the 2025 Miami Open final. The Serb will head into the title clash with an advantage regardless of which player emerges victorious, given his 10-0 winning record against Fritz and 1-0 record against Mensik.
During his press conference, the 24-time Grand Slam champion took satisfaction in his positive head-to-head record against both players. Djokovic also acknowledged that he had put himself in a great position to triumph at the ATP Masters 1000 event, having reached the final without dropping a set.
“But I look forward to it. As I said in my previous answer, I really wanted to find the best game that I can play from myself in this tournament, which I did, and putting myself in a great position to win the title. Against both players I have positive score, head-to-head, which doesn’t necessarily win the match on Sunday, but it’s good to know that,” he said.
Novak Djokovic further emphasized that he “knew what to do tactically” against both Taylor Fritz and Jakub Mensik. The Serb last won the Miami Open title in 2016, when he defeated Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3 in the final.
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