Gaël Monfils is in great shape and the record holder for the number of Grand Slam victories, with 23 titles, Novak Djokovic, is happy to meet the Frenchman during the round of 16 of the American tournament in Cincinnati on the night of Thursday to Friday.
“A Veteran’s Battle”
Monfils qualified by beating Alex De Minaur, current 12th in the world, in straight sets, 7-5/6-4, after getting rid of Cameron Norrie in three sets in the previous round. We could fear for the physique of the Monf, who had felt a pain in the calf during the first round, but the American air seems to do him good. He had gained 65 places after his quarter-final in Toronto last week.
“It will be a battle of veterans. Gaël is an extraordinary man, I respect him and I really love him. He brings so much joy to the fans. He’s the most charismatic player we’ve had in the last two decades,” praised Novak Djokovic before the game. Whatever the result of the match, Gaël Monfils, current 211th player in the world, is guaranteed to gain fifty places thanks to his performance in Cincinnati.