Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils, Cincinnati Open 2023: Round of 16 preview, Head-to-head record, live streaming info

Two-time champion Novak Djokovic takes on Gael Monfils in the round of 16 of the Cincinnati Open, ATP 1000 Masters event, on Thursday.

The clash is scheduled to be the fifth match on the Center Court on the fifth day of this year’s edition.

World No. 2 Djokovic comes into the third-round fixture after his opponent, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, was forced to retire with a back injury while trailing 4-6 in the second round. The 36-year-old Serbian is competing on US soil for the first time in two years and in Cincinnati after four years.

He could not enter the US last year as it required the international travellers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He also missed the Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami this year due to the same reason. However, the US government ended the vaccine mandate on May 11, clearing the way for Djokovic’s entry. 

Former World No. 6 Monfils came to Cincinnati after his surprising run to the quarterfinals in Toronto where he beat the likes of Christopher Eubanks and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In Cincinnati, the 36-year-old Frenchman began his campaign with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over 12th-seeded Brit Cameron Norrie before beating Alex de Minaur, the Canadian Open runner-up, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round.

Head-to-head record

Played: 18 | Djokovic: 18 | Davidovich Fokina: 1

The Djokovic vs Monfils head-to-head record is the joint-most one-sided one on the ATP Tour along with Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet – both 18-0.

Monfils did have the chance to end the streak in the semifinals in Dubai in 2020 but the Frenchman could not convert any of the three match points.

In their only previous Cincinnati Open clash, Djokovic came from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals in 2011.