Novak Djokovic is aiming to win the Cincinnati Masters for the third time in his career. The Serbian superstar will take on another veteran on the ATP Tour, Gael Monfils in his next match on Thursday. This Round of 16 match arguably is gaining a lot of enthusiasm as much as Carlos Alcaraz taking on Tommy Paul. But the Serb had one particular point he made in his on court interview regarding Monfils’ age.
Djokovic and Monfils both made their ATP Tour debuts around the same time in the 2004-05 season. Both of them have a great sense of humor and athleticism. As a result, the respect and fondness for each other between them has only grown over the years, which was evident in the World No.2’s heartwarming comments in a post match interview in Cincinnati.
Novak Djokovic makes fun of his and Gael Monfils’ age talks
Both the players have had vastly different paths in their careers. While Novak Djokovic transformed himself to arguably become the fittest and versatile player on the ATP Tour consistently, Gael Monfils has made the most of some of the talent he has and entertained fans with his acrobatic and unique shots. To Djokovic’s credit, he has managed to remain in the top 20 of the rankings mostly since a decade.
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Yet, it was very gracious of Novak Djokovic to publicly express his admiration for Gael Monfils. The World No.2 said that the Frenchman has gone through his fair share of struggles in the last few years but has managed to come out of it and in his words, ‘play some excellent tennis’. Djokovic also called Monfils one of the most charismatic players in the last two decades on the Tour, who is an ‘amazing guy’.
Comically, Djokovic also indirectly took a dig at tennis enthusiasts and experts who claim that he is very old to be playing tennis. In the past, the 23-time Grand Slam champion himself has often said that ’36 is the new 26′ and that he does not feel age is an obstacle for him playing, since his motivation is right up there to compete professionally. Instead, he feels people should also talk about Monfils being old and still managing to play that well, meaning that he is not alone in this altogether.
Monfils will turn 37 on September 1 this year, who could perhaps play in the men’s singles event at the upcoming US Open as a wildcard, being ranked No.211 at the moment. The French superstar has 11 ATP titles to his name so far, having earned nearly $21 million in career prize money, which makes him one of the most successful players from his country of all-time.
Djokovic vs Monfils head to head
Remarkably, Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils have played each other 18 times so far on the ATP Tour in the men’s singles category and the former has a 18-0 lead over him. Monfils has come close on few occasions to beat Djokovic, but the Serbian has hung on courtesy his tenacity and temperament to come out on top.
Monfils may feel confident in Cincinnati to break the streak, having beaten talented youngsters such as Cam Norrie and Alex de Minaur so far in the competition. The true-blue entertainer has had some good practice in the North American swing, with the aim of winning a few tournaments before he may decide to quit the game professionally in 2024, in his own words.
