Novak Djokovic declined to discuss the apparent eye problem he suffered before his Miami Open final defeat to unseeded Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, insisting he did not want to overshadow his opponent’s victory.

Following a nearly six-hour rain delay, Djokovic appeared with swelling around his right eye, seemingly caused by a stye. He struggled early in the match, dropping his first service game and later applying eye drops during a changeover. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who was denied his 100th career title, described the day as "weird" but refused to attribute his loss to the condition.

"It`s unfortunate for me. Two tiebreaks, just a very weird match, weird day with the rain delay and everything else. Honestly, I didn`t feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory," Djokovic said.

When directly asked about his eye issue, he avoided elaborating, saying, "I really prefer not to talk about it... I don`t want to sound like I`m giving excuses here for my loss."

Despite his disappointment, Djokovic praised Mensik`s progress, recalling that he had trained with him in Belgrade years ago.

"I could see back then already, three, four years ago, that he`s going to be one of the top players in the world. He’s got the complete game," Djokovic said, highlighting Mensik’s powerful serve, strong backhand, and improved forehand.

Djokovic, who had been in excellent form throughout the tournament without dropping a set, expressed gratitude for the crowd’s support and described his time in Miami as positive despite the bitter end.