- Djokovic Breaks Federer’s Wimbledon Record to Reach Historic 17th Quarter-final
Novak Djokovic etched another chapter into tennis history on Sunday by becoming the winningest singles player in Wimbledon history after defeating Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin to book his place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Championships.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion overcame a stern challenge from Safiullin to claim a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory in a gripping fourth-round encounter that lasted three hours and 25 minutes on Centre Court.
The victory was significant beyond securing a place in the last eight. It marked Djokovic’s 106th men’s singles win at Wimbledon, moving him ahead of Roger Federer’s long-standing record of 105 victories at the All England Club. Across both the men’s and women’s singles competitions, only Martina Navratilova, with 120 victories, has won more matches at Wimbledon.
The Serbian legend, now 39, also reached his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final—his ninth consecutive appearance in the last eight—and extended his all-time record to 66 Grand Slam quarter-final appearances.
Djokovic will next face either Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as he continues his pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title.
Victory would also see him equal Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s singles crowns while becoming the oldest men’s Grand Slam singles champion in the Open Era.
Despite the historic achievement, Djokovic was far from his fluent best against the world No. 132, who produced fearless tennis to trouble the Serbian throughout the contest.
Safiullin raced into a 5-2 lead in the opening set before Djokovic mounted one of his trademark comebacks, forcing a tie-break and edging it 8-6 to seize control of the match.
The Serbian returned from a lengthy break before the second set looking rejuvenated, dominating proceedings to move within one set of victory. However, his intensity dipped in the third set as Safiullin capitalised to extend the contest.
Frustration crept into Djokovic’s game, with the veteran smashing a ball in anger after losing a point, drawing boos from sections of the Centre Court crowd.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion later apologised for his behaviour.
“The outbursts as well, the meltdowns—I had a few of those today as well, I apologise,” Djokovic admitted after the match.
He regained his composure in the fourth set, breaking decisively before serving out the match to continue his march through the tournament.
Reflecting on another hard-earned victory, Djokovic said resilience had become his greatest weapon.
“Survive to thrive, that’s how I feel. So hopefully the thriving part is coming,” he said.
“Our mind wanders all the time. It’s very hard to keep it in the present moment, and whoever does that is a winner.”
The Serbian also acknowledged that he deliberately shortened rallies against the aggressive Russian.
“I don’t get to feel inferior from the back of the court with too many players. Today was one of those days I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long, so I had to mix things up.”
Djokovic’s victory maintained his remarkable record against lower-ranked opposition at Wimbledon. He has now won all 20 Wimbledon matches he has played against opponents ranked outside the world’s top 100 and remains unbeaten in all 34 Grand Slam matches against qualifiers.
His latest triumph also made him the first man in history to reach five Wimbledon quarter-finals after turning 35, surpassing another record previously held by Federer.
The Serbian remains on course for a blockbuster semi-final clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who was due to face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki later on Sunday for a place in the last eight.
While Djokovic acknowledged there is room for improvement, another record-breaking victory keeps alive his quest for more Wimbledon glory and further cements his status as one of the greatest players the sport has ever produced.
