- Djokovic Matches Federer’s Wimbledon Record as Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff Reach Last 16
Novak Djokovic added another line to his extraordinary Wimbledon history on Friday, matching Roger Federer’s men’s record of 105 singles victories at the All England Club after overcoming France’s Arthur Rinderknech in a demanding four-set contest.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion, chasing an eighth title in London and a record 25th Grand Slam singles crown, defeated Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) on Centre Court to advance to the fourth round. The victory also saw the 39-year-old equal Federer’s record of 18 fourth-round appearances at Wimbledon.
Djokovic appeared in control after taking the opening two sets with typical precision, but Rinderknech forced his way back into the contest with a dominant third set and threatened to drag the Serbian into a deciding fifth.
But as he has done so often on the sport’s biggest stages, Djokovic found his best tennis when the match tightened, holding firm in the fourth-set tiebreak to seal his place in the last 16.
“Maybe Roger and I should play one more match for number 106,” Djokovic joked after the match. “Let’s stop at 105 and invite Roger back.”
The result leaves Djokovic one win away from moving clear of Federer among men for the most singles wins at Wimbledon, although Martina Navratilova remains ahead overall with 120 match victories at the tournament.
Djokovic will next face Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, who ended the impressive run of Brazilian 24th seed João Fonseca with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Defending men’s champion and world number one Jannik Sinner also moved smoothly into the fourth round, producing one of his most composed performances of the tournament to defeat American Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
After an unconvincing opening-round display, Sinner has grown steadily into the tournament. Against Brooksby, the Italian controlled the baseline exchanges, served with greater authority and improved sharply on return.
“I’m trying to move better and my return was much stronger today,” Sinner said. “Overall, it was definitely another step forward.”
Sinner will next face Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, the world number 151, who recovered from a set down to defeat Spain’s teenage prospect Rafael Jodar 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4.
The Italian also saw one of the major threats in his section removed after eighth seed Daniil Medvedev suffered a straight-sets defeat to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who reached the last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time.
In the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka maintained her strong run with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in a meeting between two of the hardest hitters on the tour.
The contest carried the potential for danger, but Sabalenka managed the important moments better and reached the fourth round without dropping a set.
“She’s such a dangerous player. The last time we played, she completely overpowered me, so I knew I had to be ready today,” Sabalenka said.
The Belarusian will now face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in one of the standout fourth-round ties. Osaka reached the last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time after overpowering Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3.
American fourth seed Coco Gauff also booked her place in the second week, surviving a stern challenge from compatriot Claire Liu before winning 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2.
Gauff looked on course for a more straightforward victory before failing to close out the second set, allowing Liu to force a decider. The reigning Grand Slam champion, however, responded strongly in the third set to avoid a damaging upset and continue her campaign.
Teenage American Iva Jovic also extended her breakthrough run, defeating Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets to reach the fourth round.
Friday’s play, however, ended the Wimbledon runs of two teenage prospects. Fonseca was comprehensively beaten by Safiullin, while Jodar failed to build on a strong opening set against Mochizuki.
For Djokovic, though, the day belonged to history. Another record has been matched, another milestone added, and another step taken in a campaign that could still end with him standing alone on 25 Grand Slam titles.
At this stage of his career, Djokovic is no longer simply chasing opponents across the net. He is chasing the remaining edges of tennis history, one hard-earned Wimbledon win at a time.
