Novak Djokovic draws level with Roger Federer at Wimbledon
The Serb will face Roman Safiullin on Sunday.
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Novak Djokovic dug deep for his four-set win against big-serving Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. The Serb opened up a two-set lead before being pegged back by Rinderknech, who forced a fourth set.
In the end, Djokovic fought his way past the last Frenchman remaining in the singles draw with a 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) in three hours and 15 minutes. The 39-year-old Djokovic now has 105 wins at SW19, equalling Roger Federer’s long-standing record at the venue. Djokovic completed the formalities with a diving volley winner on matchpoint.
Djokovic and Federer now have the most wins at Wimbledon in the Open Era. The seven-time Wimbledon champ has the highest win tally at SW19 across Grand Slams. He has 104 wins at Melbourne and 103 in Roland Garros. His tally of 95 match wins at the US Open leaves him five shy of the magic number in New York.
Djokovic will now take on Roman Safiullin in the fourth round on Sunday. The Serb leads 3-0 in their head-to-head.
The 28-year-old Saifullin came through qualifying to defeat No. 24 seed Joao Fonseca, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Saifullin made short work of the Brazilian, winning their first tour-level meeting in two hours and 10 minutes to return to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2023.
On equalling Federer’s record at SW19, Djokovic remains on track to equal the Swiss great’s eight Wimbledon titles. The World No. 8 proposed a match with Federer on the hallowed Wimbledon turf for the 106th win in the post-match interview.