Monfils' 0-20 Nightmare vs Djokovic: Tennis' Most Feared Nemeses Exposed
Elite-level sport is unpredictable. Sometimes logic holds, but often unexpected results emerge. Moreover, nearly every player has an opponent they hate facing.
A game that doesn't unsettle the rival, psychological blocks, spotting weaknesses… Tennis isn't immune to the famous “bogey players.” How do players tackle matchups against opponents they simply can't beat?
MONFILS FACE À SA KRYPTONITE ABSOLUE, NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Novak Djokovic has gotten into Gaël Monfils' head. The Serb is likely a nemesis for many, but especially for the Frenchman.
In 20 main-tour meetings, Monfils hasn't won a single one. It's a record in professional tennis history: no one has lost as many times to the same opponent without ever winning a match.
Trois balles de match en demi-finales à Dubaï en 2020
Yet it's not for lack of trying. The Paris native has had several chances to defeat the former world No. 1. In the first round of the 2005 US Open, Monfils only fell 7-5 in the fifth set in a match he was close to winning. In the 2009 Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 final, it came down to a third-set tiebreak.
The same story at the 2014 Toronto Masters 1000, where the Serb won mentally (6-2, 6-7, 7-6). More recently, Monfils even held three match points in the second-set tiebreak before collapsing in the third (2-6, 7-6, 6-1) in the semifinals of the 2020 Dubai ATP 500.
« J’espère arriver à le battre au moins une fois sur le circuit professionnel »
“When Novak (Djokovic) plays me, he has a solution that I don't. He has a feeling about me that I can have against other players. He manages to block me in a certain phase of play where I can't trouble him anymore. He's stronger than me, and that's 20 times now.
Unfortunately, I lose to him once or twice a year because we've been facing off for a long time. When I step on court, I believe in it, I have my plan. I hope to trouble him soon. Sometimes I do and get early opportunities.
When I trouble him, sometimes he doesn't respond right away, but once he does and starts asking questions back, I can't answer. I hope to beat him at least once on the professional circuit.
Don't forget I beat him in Bergamo in Futures, and I won against him in juniors in Australia. But on the ATP Tour, it's 20-0 for him,” Monfils assured Eurosport in spring 2025.
« L’US Open 2005, c’est la seule fois où Gaël a commencé le match en se disant qu’il pouvait gagner »
In 2016, Thierry Champion, who was Monfils' coach during their first clash at Flushing Meadows in 2005, recounted how Djokovic used cunning to snatch a win after a grueling battle.
With the score at 4-3 Monfils and then 40-40 on the Serb's serve, Djokovic collapsed on court, citing breathing difficulties. After a medical timeout, play resumed and Djokovic closed stronger.
“Right after the match, I went to the supervisor's office to say he needed to review the rules. But that didn't stop me from chewing out Gaël (Monfils) immediately after. I told him: 'You see, he used every trick to win, while you let him.' Novak (Djokovic) was more mature.
That day was the only time Gaël started the match believing he could win. And mentality is huge for him. After that, Djoko quickly got stronger in every area,” he said to 20 Minutes hours before the 2016 US Open semifinal between the pair.
COMMENT SINNER A PRIS L’ASCENDANT SUR MEDVEDEV
Now an inescapable figure in tennis, Jannik Sinner also struggled to tame some colleagues' games on tour. Daniil Medvedev was a prime example. The Russian won the first six head-to-heads against the Italian, dropping just three sets from Marseille 2020 to the 2023 Miami Masters 1000 final.
Un déclic à Pékin en 2023 pour Sinner contre Medvedev
At the 2021 ATP Finals, Sinner came very close to beating the Russian for the first time, holding two match points in the third-set tiebreak. But the breakthrough came in the 2023 Beijing ATP 500 final, where Sinner finally cracked the code (7-6, 7-6).
“I thought I was a top player when I entered the top 10, but I couldn't beat the world's best, so I had to add something to my game. Medvedev is a good example. He made me grow as a player.
I never beat him early on, then gradually I found the solution in Beijing and won the title. Days later, I beat him in Vienna and at the Turin ATP Finals. When Simone Vagnozzi started coaching me, I began varying my game.
From the second half of 2023, it felt like all the pieces fell into place, especially my serve becoming a key weapon in big moments,” the Italian told Tennis Magazine in December 2024.
« Il rate de moins en moins, et va certainement s’approcher de plus en plus »
In spring 2023, when Medvedev won the Miami Masters 1000 title over Sinner, he had dominated his young foe for a sixth straight time.
The Russian, clear-eyed about his level then, analyzed his ability to neutralize the San Candido native's ambitions but sensed the tide turning. Sinner was already more complete and tougher to beat.
“Against Alcaraz, like Rublev or Ruusuvuori before, he was smashing the ball. Somehow, my ball doesn't let him do that. Maybe I also read his game better, pushing him to more errors.
Still, I feel he's leveled up this year. He misses less and less. And he'll surely get closer and closer. But I hope to keep troubling him in our next matches,” he said at the time.
L’évolution du discours de Medvedev sur Sinner : « C’est une machine »
In October 2024, Sinner, then world No. 1 after an exceptional season, crushed Medvedev 6-0, 6-3 in the Six Kings Slam exhibition quarterfinals. Awed by his rival's level, the Russian could only applaud.
“I've never played anyone like Jannik (Sinner) today. Comparing Carlos (Alcaraz) to Jannik, I usually say Jannik is more consistent. He's a machine, while Carlos has ups and downs. But at his peak, he's probably a bit better (than Sinner).
« Je ne pense pas que mon tennis était si mauvais, mais j’ai perdu très lourdement »
But I'm changing my mind. I've never played anyone like Jannik. If it wasn't an ace, the ball kept coming back. I missed easy shots because early in the match I wasn't missing but getting passed.
Next times, you know to step in but you start doubting, panic, and miss. It's tricky because I felt good physically and mentally on court.
I don't think my tennis was that bad, but I still lost heavily. I don't remember the last time that happened to me,” he conceded to the press in Riyadh after his exit.
As of January 10, 2026, Sinner has completely flipped the head-to-head with Medvedev. After six straight losses, the Italian led 8-7 at that date. A sign of his rapid progress and ability to learn from past failures.
RODDICK TRAUMATISÉ PAR FEDERER
Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick didn't enjoy facing Roger Federer in his career. The Swiss leads 21-3 in their head-to-head. The pair met three times in Wimbledon finals (2004, 2005, 2009) and in the 2006 US Open quarters.
On London grass, the Swiss legend won an epic in 2009, 16-14 in the fifth set. In April 2020, amid lockdown, Roddick discussed Federer's game that troubled him throughout his career, especially on grass, in a Tennis Channel interview.
« Je savais que je devais faire un choix, mais aucun ne s’est avéré payant »
“Facing Roger (Federer) in a final can be depressing at times. At full throttle, he could chain serve-and-volleys more often. He had great defense.
Plus, at his peak, he moved faster and hit stunning passing shots. I don't think people talk about that enough,” Roddick began then.
“For me, rushing the net ultra-aggressively was a desperate option against him. I knew I had to change tactics, but none worked.”
La capacité de Federer à neutraliser le point fort de Roddick, le service
“Against most players, I knew they couldn't read my serve as well as they wanted, winning most first-serve points. But not with Roger.
With tiny movements, he returned it, and once rallies got neutral, he took over. I was a good server, but he chipped my backhand with no spin.
We played those points hundreds of times, but his ability to neutralize my pace with minimal effort and excel in returns against me was frustrating,” he continued.
Le déclic qui a permis à Roddick de battre Federer à la fin de sa carrière
For 11 years, Federer made life hell for Roddick. From 2001 to 2012, they clashed 24 times. But near retirement, the 2003 US Open champion spotted a detail that let him win their last meeting at the 2012 Miami Masters 1000.
“For years, circling my forehand on his second serves threw off my timing. Then suddenly, I'd take a split-second earlier backhand return stance than usual.
Roger knew this for 12 years. He watched the returner longer than most when serving. I figured it out late in my career, making way more winners off his seconds in our final clashes.
In Miami (2012), I remember in the second set he gave me a look like: 'Oh, you know now.' But it took me ages to get it,” he concluded. In September 2025, Roddick piled on about his Federer rivalry on his podcast: “You ruined my life for a decade.”
Les bêtes noires concernent même les plus grands
Bogey players pose a real psychological and strategic challenge for tennis pros. These dreaded foes, often unsettling even the greatest champions, reflect human vulnerabilities under competitive pressure.
Understanding the mechanisms behind these rivalries helps athletes overcome fears and prepare mentally. Ultimately, the real secret lies in turning fear into fuel, learning from every clash, and building resilience to break the losing streak.
Through past matches against the same opponent, players find the keys themselves to eventually snap the hoodoo. History is full of examples across the tour, from those outside the top 100 to the sport's greatest legends.
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