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Gael Monfils lavished praise on Novak Djokovic following his loss at the hands of the Serb at the 2022 Madrid Masters, remarking that the World No. 1 is slowly shaking off his signs of rust.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion extended his unbeaten record against the Frenchman to 18-0, beating him 6-3, 6-2 to secure passage to the third round of the ATP 1000 event. Speaking to reporters after the defeat, as reported by L'Equipe, the World No. 21 asserted that Djokovic was one of the players who had a natural advantage when playing against him because of their respective playstyles.
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Although Monfils admitted that the World No. 1 is not yet at his usual best, he opined that he was still playing "very well."
"It's hard for me to judge him well. He does things that are less pleasant for me. I make him play well. He pushes you to put a little more, to take the ball a bit earlier, to hit a little harder," Monfils said. "He's been playing less well since he came back because he [hasn't won a title], but he's still playing very well!"
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The former World No. 6 proclaimed that one still needed a "big game" to outdo the Serb, something he couldn't muster on the day. A disappointed Gael Monfils pointed out that he played a very average match in contrast to the 20-time Grand Slam champion's "simple" and "effective" game that assured him at least another week atop the ATP rankings in the process.
"So when we say it's takeable... It's solid! You still have to play a big game to beat him. The guy remains World no. 1. He has fewer wins than usual, but he still has a lot," Monfils said. "I didn't make the final in Belgrade, [he did]. He is playing better and better. Today, it was simple, effective. Me, I played an average match."
"I made a lot of errors when it was up to me to be aggressive, Novak Djokovic took risks on certain break points and it paid off for him" - Gael Monfils
Interestingly, Gael Monfils had five break opportunities on Novak Djokovic's serve, while the Serb had only three. But the World No. 1 converted all three of them and proceeded to save all the break points on his own serve.
The Frenchman chalked it up to his own errors, noting how he did not capitalize on the 20-time Grand Slam champion's moments of weakness. At the same time, he highlighted how the 34-year-old did not hesitate to take risks during the big moments of the match, a decision that ultimately paid dividends for him.
"That's the game. There were times when I didn't really manage to make my transition, play a little bomb, further, let it come and change the pace a little more," Monfils said. "I made a lot of errors when it was up to me to be aggressive. [Novak Djokovic] took risks on certain break points and it paid off for him."
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