There isn’t any longer any doubt (and maybe there by no means was!) that Novak Djokovic is Gael Monfils’ worst nightmare, throughout the Frenchman’s total profession.
The information is unequivocal: Gael has suffered 20 defeats – from 2005 to 2025, in twenty years – in 20 matches performed in his profession on the ATP Tour towards the Serbian champion. In these confrontations, the 24-time Slam champion has all the time been a sentence for his rival and has maintained a powerful and possibly inimitable streak of successes.
The final problem and victory of the participant from Belgrade got here on Thursday 2 January 2025 on the Pat Rafter Area in Brisbane, a event through which Nole gained entry to the quarterfinals, the place the subsequent opponent might be Reilly Opelka. The Frenchman gave in after a double 6-3, thus not stopping the stream of defeats suffered.
Novak Djokovic, Brisbane 2025© Stream screenshot
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No rivalry in historical past has been as unequal as that between Djokovic and Monfils, who reached a 20-0 document in head-to-head matches. Rafael Nadal solely got here shut with one other Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, with an total 18-0 that can not be improved as a result of Rafa withdrew from the Davis Cup Finals 2024 whereas Richard will achieve this on the French Open 2025.Different duels as an alternative stopped at 17-0: Borg-Gerulaitis, Federer-Ferrer and once more Roger with Youzhny.
There’s additionally an exception between the Serbian and the Frenchman that the ATP doesn’t contemplate within the whole calculation: in truth, Monfils has crushed Djokovic as soon as in an official match, proper of their very first assembly. In 2004, Gael received 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 in an ITF Futures performed in Italy. A peculiarity additionally current within the H2H of Nadal and Gasquet, who received a match in a Challenger event earlier than struggling 18 consecutive defeats.
Por mucho que busquen NO hay en la historia del tenis una rivalidad tan DESIGUAL como la de Djokovic y Monfils.
En las 20 veces que se han enfrentado, las 20 veces ha ganado Novak.
El francés tuvo 3 match factors en Dubái 2020. Fue lo más cerca que estuvo de ganar al serbio. pic.twitter.com/KV8z5Vri3N
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) January 2, 2025
