Novak Djokovic wasn't at his absolute clinical best on July 3 at Wimbledon 2026, but the legendary seven-time champion dug deep to secure a gritty win. In doing so, he reached a historic milestone, equaling Roger Federer’s long-standing record for the most men’s singles match wins at the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic marches into 4th round of Wimbledon 2026
The Serbian superstar was pushed to the limit in a grueling Centre Court battle against Arthur Rinderknech. Despite the Frenchman's booming serve causing plenty of trouble, Djokovic raised his game during the crucial points to weather the storm and secure a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) victory in the third round. This triumph marks his 105th singles win at SW19, drawing him level with Federer for the men's record, leaving only WTA icon Martina Navratilova (120) ahead in the all-time tournament standings.
The roller-coaster encounter stood in stark contrast to Djokovic's flawless performance on Wednesday night, where he dismantled Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to put the rest of the draw on notice. His three-hour and one-minute marathon against the hard-hitting Rinderknech required a completely different kind of resilience, culminating in a dramatic match point that left both competitors collapsed on the grass.
Rinderknech shows grit but runs out of steam against Djokovic
Despite dropping the first two sets, Rinderknech’s high-risk, aggressive approach began to yield results after he had already hammered 35 winners. The towering 6’5” Frenchman took full advantage of a surprisingly passive third set from Djokovic to mount a comeback. He then rode a wave of crowd support deep into the fourth set, as both players raised the intensity with a sequence of captivating baseline rallies.
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A defining moment occurred when Rinderknech held serve to level the fourth set at 4-4, escaping a precarious position with a brilliant exchange that forced Djokovic into a desperate retreat before the Serb sailed a backhand long. The spectacular rally brought the Centre Court crowd to its feet in a thunderous ovation, acknowledging the 25th seed's immense fighting spirit.
While Rinderknech showed flashes of the same brilliance that saw him stun World No. 3 Alexander Zverev on this very court a year ago, Djokovic’s big-match temperament ultimately prevailed. The 24-time Grand Slam champion successfully countered his opponent's sharp serve-and-volley tactics, navigating a high-pressure tie-break to close out the match.
Reflecting on the victory, Djokovic admitted that a mixture of skill and a little bit of luck got him across the finish line. He noted that while his serve had deserted him for the majority of the afternoon due to the relentless quality and height of Rinderknech, he managed to execute a nearly flawless tie-break when it mattered most, praising the Frenchman for pushing him through such an exhausting contest.
With his first career victory over Rinderknech secured, Djokovic moves on to a fourth-round encounter against 28-year-old qualifier Roman Safiullin. Safiullin earned his spot by dismantling #NextGenATP talent Joao Fonseca in straight sets, a remarkable turnaround for a player who ended 2025 sidelined by injury and had not won a main-draw tour match this season prior to arriving at Wimbledon.