Novak Djokovic becomes first player to boast 18-0 record against an opponent after beating Gael Monfils in Madrid Open

Novak Djokovic got his Madrid Open campaign off to a flying start, beating Gael Monfils of France in straight sets in the second round. The Serb, who is chasing a fourth title at the venue, overcame Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the round of 16.

The World No. 1 thus became the first player to boast an 18-0 head-to-head record against a single opponent. Interestingly, this was only the second time that both players faced each other on clay, previously doing so in the 2006 French Open.

Djokovic and Monfils first met at the US Open back in 2005 with the Serb prevailing in a close five-setter.

Roger Federer has a 17-0 head-to-head record against David Ferrer and Mikhail Youzhny while Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl have identical records against Vitas Gerulaitis and Tim Mayotte respectively. Rafael Nadal has a 17-0 win-loss record against Richard Gasquet.

When asked what he thought of his head-to-head record against Monfils, Djokovic was quick to point out that many of their matches had been close affairs, including the semifinals of the 2020 Dubai Open, where the Frenchman had match points.

"I don't have any explanation for that, I just try to approach it like any other match,” Djokovic said. “I guess his game is suitable to my game in terms of playing style. But we've had some very close matchups. The last time we played in Dubai he had match points, so that could have easily broken the record.

"I don't think about that too much. For me mentally this is a very important win.”

During the on-court interview after the match, Djokovic also described his opponent as "one of the most athletic and quickest players that we have in the game."

“I played one of the most athletic and quickest players that we have in the game. I know his game very well. I know I have to always be ready that another ball will always come back from his part of the court, that you have to constantly try to have a controlled aggression… and dictate the point."

The Serb also said he was pleased with his own performance on the night.

“I was moving well, dictating with the forehand side, moving him around the court and finding my serve [and] also the last few service games, [finding my] return.”

The Serb will take on either Andy Murray or Denis Shapovalov in the round of 16.

Novak Djokovic to remain World No. 1 after beating Gael Monfils

With his win over Monfils, Djokovic has ensured that he will retain the World No. 1 slot for at least another week. A loss for the Serb would have given Daniil Medvedev the World No. 1 ranking for the second time.

On 9 May, the Serb will begin a record-extending 369th week at the top of the rankings.

---

Also Check Out :-Madrid Open 2022 Results