Novak Djokovic's ex-coach Boris Becker makes his feelings known on Serb's Miami Open setback

Novak Djokovic's former coach, Boris Becker, shared his thoughts on the Serb's recent setback at the Miami Open. Djokovic had an impressive run to the final of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, but things took a turn for the worse when he encountered a difficult situation just before the match..

Just before the final match on Monday, March 31, in Miami, speculation about Djokovic’s condition spread across social media after he was seen with a swollen right eye. As a result, the inevitable happened—Djokovic was defeated by this season’s breakout star, Czech sensation Jakub Mensik.

After enduring a six-hour delay before his title showdown at the Miami Open final, the 24-time Grand Slam champion faced Mensik in a hard-fought battle but fell in straight sets.

On the latest episode of the Becker & Petkovic podcast, Boris Becker and Andrea Petkovic discussed Novak Djokovic’s recent setback in Miami, where he struggled with a swollen eye. Becker emphasized how crucial clear vision is for a player, noting that the swelling might have prevented Djokovic from wearing his contact lenses. He pointed out that this issue was particularly significant, especially for the final match.

Boris Becker: "Maybe a quick word on Novak. Not only does he have the best vision, but he actually needs both eyes, not just one. That’s why he wears glasses. He wears a contact lens. He probably couldn’t see anything out of one eye. That makes returning even more difficult, especially against a top player like Mensik. But credit where credit is due."

Petkovic also speculated that the swelling prevented the Serb from wearing his contact lenses that day, which may have affected his vision and ultimately played a crucial role in his defeat against Mensik.

Andrea Petkovic: "I’d love to know –Do you think he managed to put his contact lenses in? His eye was so insanely swollen. For those who didn’t see it– it’s not an exaggeration. Like a little style or something. His eyes were seriously swollen. That’s a good point. Maybe he just couldn’t get the contact lenses in and literally couldn’t see out of that eye."

Later, after the match, despite hinting at unfavorable circumstances affecting his performance, he chose to remain silent and declined to elaborate on concerns about his swollen eye before the match.

Novak Djokovic sheds light upon the “weird day” at Miami Open

Novak Djokovic at Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 11 - Source: Getty

During the post-match press conference after his final match against Jakub Mensik at the 2025 Miami Open, Novak Djokovic described the day and the match as "weird."

"Yeah, it's unfortunate for me. Two tiebreaks, just very weird match, weird day with rain delay and all the things that is happening. Honestly, yeah, I didn't feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory," he said.

When asked whether his swelling affected his performance during the match, the Serbian player avoided a direct response and declined to make any excuses for his defeat.

"I really prefer not to talk about -there is quite a few things, but I prefer not to... just congratulate him. That's it. I don't want to sound like I'm giving excuses here for my loss," he said.

Djokovic added:

"As I answered before, I don't want to get into details, but just it is what it is. You know, it's same for both players. You have to accept the circumstances. I tried to make the most out of what I had or what I was facing, but yeah, it was quite different from any other day of the tournament for me."

Next, Djokovic is set to compete in the Monte Carlo Masters in France, which begins on April 7.