Remember how the 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic found himself getting ejected from the US Open in 2020? It happened in the most bizarre manner possible. An on-court disqualification after he hit a female line judge in the throat with a ball hit in frustration. During the fourth round encounter against Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta, the Serbian couldn’t handle his frustration after losing serve in the first set to trail 5-6. And guess what? Nearly five years later, a teenager from Czechia, Jakub Mensik, who idolizes Djokovic, has come under fire for a similar act. No he didn’t hit a line judge. But the 19-year-old just smashed the ball in rage at Queen’s Club. Result? Fans are now going after him on social media.

For the uninitiated, Jakub Mensik, who beat his childhood idol Djokovic earlier this season and won the Miami Open title, found himself in a forgettable incident on Wednesday. He stepped on court in the Round of 16 of the Queen’s Club tourney against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut. Mensik snatched the first set easily with a score line of 6-3. However, Bautista succeeded in a comeback. He eventually defeated Mensik with a final score line of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Before the outcome, however, an unexpected moment occurred on the court during the second set.

Bautista was leading 3-1 (30-40) against Jakub Mensik when Mensik lost his cool. Seeing the set going out of his hands, he smashed his racket on the ground. The racket bounced and flew right into the stands. Luckily it didn’t hit anyone in the crowd. Otherwise, Mensik could have faced some serious repercussions.

But this instance was enough to leave fans aggravated on social media. Ever since the clip of Mensik went viral, many tennis fans have been criticizing him. So much so, that some think he’s following in the footsteps of his idol Djokovic.

It’s no secret how much Jakub Mensik looks up to the Serb. It became evident from his post-match reaction after defeating him in the summit clash of the Miami Open, back in March. During the presentation ceremony, the Czechian said, “I think everyone knows that you are the one because of (whom) I’m here, you know.”

He added, “I watched you growing up, and when I was young, I started to play tennis because of you and right now, obviously I have a couple of opportunities to practice with you and of course playing in Shanghai, right now I mean there is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the finals of the tournament.” For now, however, it will be a hard task for the 19-year-old to curb the negative reactions after what he just did at Queen’s Club.

Fans criticize Jakub Mensik as they draw Novak Djokovic parallels

One fan couldn’t resist their frustration watching Jakub Mensik and wrote, “He is sooo embarassing to watch” while another person reiterated, “Mensik Idol is Djokovic” underlining the similarities between the two ATP pros. Turns out, the 2020 US Open wasn’t the only time Novak Djokovic brought out his aggressive side.

Remember how he reacted at the crowd during the Astana Open in 2022? While playing the semifinal match against Daniil Medvedev, he failed to reach a backhand shot by the Russian pro. Out of sheer disappointment, Djokovic hurled his racket into the air. He then realized that it had sailed into the crowd. The Serbian immediately raised his hands as a gesture of apology to the fans.

Then there was another such incident that occurred during the 2024 Wimbledon. After winning the fourth round against Holger Rune (6-3, 6-4, 6-2) and entering the quarterfinal, he got furious at the crowd. Why? As he was giving the on-court interview, the fans in the stands began chanting “Ruuuune”.

The Serbian responded, “I know they were cheering for Rune but that’s an excuse to also boo. Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years, so trust me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s fine, it’s OK.” reported the Guardian in July 2024. “I focus on the respectful people, who have respect, that paid the ticket to come and watch tonight, and love tennis and appreciate the effort that the players put in here. I’ve played in a much more hostile environment, trust me. You guys can’t touch me.”

Meanwhile another fan kept criticizing Jakub Mensik writing, “He is a joke” while one individual went on to say, “Go f**k yourself, Mensik. F*****g LOSER.” The Miami Open winner was leading the first set. But he failed to hold on to it and ended up facing an exit. Since Miami, he’s hardly shined in any event with Madrid being the only exception. He reached the quarterfinal there before losing to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.

What are your thoughts on Jakub Mensik’s outrageous act at Queen’s Club? Let us know in the comments below.