Novak Djokovic has extended his spectacular unbeaten streak against Gael Monfils to 19-0. It marks the longest undefeated streak against an individual rival in the Open era. With that record, Djokovic surpassed Rafel Nadal.
Breathtaking winning streak for Novak Djokovic: breaks Nadal’s records
The extended streak surpasses Nadal’s previous record against Richard Gasquet, which was 18-0.
The winning streak against Monfils started way back in the 2005 US Open. Fourteen years back, Djokovic smashed a victory in four sets. Before starting off their respective careers on the ATP tour, Monfils had once defeated the Serbian. However, this success was never showcased in their professional faceoffs.
Other two encounters where Djokovic defeated him were at Paris Bercy in 2009 and Eastbourne in 2017. On both occasions, he restricted Monfils from bagging the two championships.
With that win, the Serbian proceeded to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 tournament. The 2nd ranked in the world, Djokovic, left no place for Monfils, who stands at 211 right now. He came victorious 6-4, 6-2 in the game that continued for an hour and eight minutes. The Lindner Family Tennis Center Central court hosted the match and almost had a full house.
The quarterfinals are all set to see the faceoff between Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, who is currently having a ninth-world ranking. Following Dusan Lajovic’s withdrawal, Fritz proceeded towards the next round.
The Serbian in back in the USA
After a two-year gap, the Cincinnati tournament marks Djokovic’s return to the US. He had his last game here in the 2021 US Open finals, where Daniel Medvedev defeated him. In the last two years, he decided to stay out of the American tournaments like Indian Wells and Miami held in March and April, respectively and also the ones hosted in August because of his decision not to take the Covid 19 vaccine.
In April, the US Government initiated the vaccination requirement for non-residents and non-citizens who enter the country.
The Cincinnati tournament is a preparation ground for Djokovic before the final showdown and the flushing meadows in the US Open.
In a thrilling five-set Wimbledon final in July, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Djokovic to win his maiden championship. Now, fans will be excited to see Djokovic back in the US Open again. They’ll be eager for their favorite player’s quest for his 24th Grand Slam.
The US Open is set to kick off on 28th August, Monda, and shall have the final game on 10th September, Sunday.
As of now, all eyes will be on the Quarter Finals that are set to be held on the 21st of August. So, gear up yourselves and get ready for some amazing tennis action coming your way!
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