Djokovic beats Safiullin 7-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 to break Federer's Wimbledon wins record
Novak Djokovic fought past Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6) 6-3 3-6 6-3 on Centre Court to claim his 106th men's singles victory at the All England Club, moving clear of Roger Federer for the all-time record.
Match recap
Novak Djokovic overcame a spirited challenge from Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin to win 7-6(6) 6-3 3-6 6-3 on Centre Court. The seventh seed faced two set points at 2-5 down in the opener but saved both before edging a tight tiebreak. Safiullin, ranked 132nd, took the third set as Djokovic's frustration boiled over, but the Serb regained control in the fourth to close out the match.
Record milestone
The victory was Djokovic's 106th in the men's singles at the All England Club, moving him past Roger Federer's 105 for the outright record. It also extended his streak of consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final appearances to nine, and marked his 17th last-eight appearance at the Championships overall. Martina Navratilova holds the all-time Wimbledon singles wins record with 120.
Djokovic's path
Djokovic, now 39, had a testing start to the tournament, dropping a set to Chinese player Yibing Wu in the first round before straight-sets wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and a four-set battle with Arthur Rinderknech. His experience showed in the crucial moments against Safiullin, maintaining his perfect 33-0 record against qualifiers at Grand Slams.
Safiullin's run
Safiullin, a former quarter-finalist in 2023, had already caused shocks by eliminating 12th seed Andrey Rublev in the first round and 22nd seed Joao Fonseca in the third. Despite the loss, he pushed Djokovic harder than the scoreline suggests, forcing the 39-year-old into uncharacteristic errors.
What's next
Djokovic will face either third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada or Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarter-finals. He continues his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title and an eighth Wimbledon crown.
