Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly one of the best tennis players of all time. The Serbian can boast of winning the most Grand Slam titles ever, that is 23. Despite his great success, he shares a good rapport with a lot of players on the tennis circuit. Djokovic and Gael Monfils go a long way back, and his recent gesture toward the Frenchman is winning hearts.
Djokovic and Monfils clashed for the 19th time in their careers at the Cincinnati Open this week. The result was the same as always, with Novak absolutely thrashing him on the court.
Despite the brutal win over Monfils, Djokovic gave him a little token of appreciation. Djokovic signed Gael’s shirt where he wrote ‘Sorry. Not sorry.’ The Frenchman later uploaded a picture of his signed shirt on social media.
Always an honor to play together my friend 🙏 🙂 https://t.co/hnmc4IntZw
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 18, 2023
Monfils wrote that while the match did not go the way he had expected, it is always good to play against his friend Novak. Djokovic also responded by saying that it is always an honor to play together.
Fans absolutely loved Novak’s gesture. Complimenting the Serbian star, a user commented, “Great to see you back whoopin’ ass!” This is Novak’s first tournament on US soil in 2 years and he is back doing what he absolutely loves.
Nole – We love ya here in the U.S.of A.!! Great to see you back whoopin’ ass!
Monfils incredibly classy as well.— 🇺🇸💥🇺🇸MBurrikks🇺🇸💥🇺🇸 (@BurrikksM) August 18, 2023
Over the years, both players have clashed several times and Djokovic always won their matchups. Novak walked away with a win against Monfils again. He defeated the Frenchman 6-6, 6-2 in a very one-sided encounter.
Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils over the years
With the win in Cincinnati, Novak Djokovic set a new record. It is not one that Monfils will be proud to be a part of though. The Serbian star now has a 19-0 lead over Monfils, in one of the biggest lopsided records in ATP history.
Previously, Rafael Nadal had the biggest one-sided record against Richard Gasquet at 18-0. The next name on the list is Roger Federer, who had a 17-0 lead over four different players.
BEST UNDEFEATED TOUR-LEVEL H2H RECORDS (men, Open Era):
19-0: Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils
18-0: Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet
17-0: Roger Federer vs David Ferrer
17-0: Roger Federer vs Mikhail Youzhny
17-0: Ivan Lendl vs Tim Mayotte
17-0: Bjorn Borg vs Vitas Gerulaitis pic.twitter.com/xD0jnlkmNj— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) August 18, 2023
Despite the record, Monfils always gave as good as he got. Their first match was a memorable one, at the US Open in 2005. For once, Novak was the underdog in a matchup.
On the road to victory, Djokovic collapsed from heat exhaustion, he made over 80 unforced errors. But in the end, the former world number one prevailed over Monfils.
2005 US Open: Novak Djokovic defeats Gael Monfils in five sets. They were both 18 years old 😊 pic.twitter.com/LFcVYeq2zh
— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) August 17, 2023
This first match set the tone for their future encounters. Novak however, acknowledges that playing against one of the most athletic players on the circuit was not easy. Monfils has been playing well this summer but Djokovic was the barrier he could not overcome. As for Novak himself, he has a point to prove since this is his first US tour in 2 years. He will play against Alexander Zverev in the semifinal next.
