Novak Djokovic extended the greatest head-to-head feat in tennis history by defeating Gaël Monfils 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Thursday night.
The win marks Djokovic’s 20th career win over Monfils, who is still looking for his first win over Serbia after competing against him on the professional circuit for 20 years. Rafael Nadal’s 18-0 record is Richard Gasquet’s second record in the sport. “[Monfils’] the game suits me well,” said Djokovic, smiling. “To some extent, the more you win against someone, the happier you are to play.”
Despite the heavy head-to-head performance, Monfils had his chances to claim victory over Djokovic. In their first meeting, a dramatic first round at the 2005 US Open filled with cramps and shock leads, Djokovic barely held on to defeat Monfils 7-5 in the fifth set. He also won two tie-breaks against Monfils and survived a triple match point in his 2020 Dubai Open semi-final. I don’t know how Djokovic always finds a way through.
“We didn’t have some really tough battles,” Djokovic said. “He had a couple of matches where he was one point away. I think a few years ago in Dubai he had a couple of points and should have won that match. It just happened. When you’re on a bad roll, it also affects the mind.
“But I think I deserve a lot of praise for still playing at such an advanced age. So athletic, super guy. A super nice guy who is loved by millions of people – with reason. He is a great host, with great charisma. We have the best dancer on the road, that’s for sure. It was around. He was a top-10 player. He played a lot of wide-level Grand Slams. He loves the big stage, the big stadiums.
Of the 256 tennis players in the 2005 Australian Open men’s and women’s singles draws spanning two decades, only Djokovic and Monfils remain. While Djokovic’s vitality is unusual, and he continues to compete and win a significant 37 titles, Monfils has re-established himself around the total of 50 years at the age of 38.
“It was a special match in a way, playing a 37-year-old versus a 38-year-old on tour in the first tournament of God knows what time we have in our lives,” said Djokovic. “I have to enjoy it. I think it was a good match. I think it was only two loose games, the first one, the second one, which allowed him to break his serve. I think it was closer than maybe the score indicates.”
As he tries to restore his form and compete for his 11th Australian Open title with a new coach, Andy Murray, Djokovic will face Reilly Opelka of the United States.
On Thursday night, Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, continued her solid start to the year, defeating Yulia Putintseva to reach the quarter-finals in Brisbane with a tough 7-6(2), 6-4 win. Maria Bouzkova will be the next face of the Czech Republic.