"Okay, is this the time where he's going to beat me or not?" - Novak Djokovic shifts mindset in facing players who have never beaten him

ATP
Thursday, 04 September 2025 at 15:06
djokovicusopen
Four-time champion Novak Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz to reach the semifinals at the 2025 US Open,, as he continues his quest for that elusive 25th Grand Slam singles title.
The Serbian stifled a Fritz comeback to record a 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-4 victory on Tuesday night in front of a packed Arthur Ashe stadium. By virtue of this victory, Djokovic improves to 11-0 against the American in career meetings on the ATP Tour. Despite the lopsided nature of their rivalry, Djokovic's dominance over Fritz is not the largest head to head lead he holds over an opponent who has never defeated him. The 38-year has quite a few impressive names and records on his list, with his 11-0 lead over Fritz being the fifth most lopsided record has has against an opponent.
Frenchman Gael Monfils sits atop the list, with Djokovic holding a 20-0 lead over the charismatic veteran. Jeremy Chardy comes in second, with the Serbian holding a 14-0 lead over the Frenchman.

There is added pressure when playing against someone he hasn't lost to, admits Djokovic

The 24-time Grand Slam champion leads Canadian Milos Raonic 12-0 in career meetings, and holds a similar 12-0 dominance over Italian Andreas Seppi. Djokovic would state that although he feels confident playing someone who has never beaten him, there is also a bit of pressure as fans want the player to win.
"You like matching up with the guys that you've never lost against," said Djokovic. "But at the same time, there's always anticipation for those matches.
"Like particularly with Monfils, every single time I play him, people [say], 'Okay, is this the time where he's going to beat me or not?' Then there's always that added pressure that you feel on the court that you need to win. You don't want to let him win even one."
Djokovic also holds impressive records over some notable players who have beaten him in the past. He leads retired Czech star against Tomas Berdych 25-3 and has gone 19-2 against former World No.3 Marin Cilic.
Additionally, the Serbian is 18-2 against Kei Nishikori and 21-6 against Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic also holds a 25-11 record over former World No.1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray. 
claps 0visitors 0
loading

Just In

Popular News

Latest Comments

Loading