A sun-soaked All England Club was the backdrop Friday for Novak Djokovic adding yet another chapter to his storied Wimbledon legacy, as the 39-year-old Serbian star dispatched Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) to reach the fourth round for the 18th time — matching Roger Federer’s record for most such appearances at the tournament.
The victory was also Djokovic’s 105th career win on the Wimbledon lawns, pulling him level with Federer on the all-time list. Djokovic is chasing what would be a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and an outright record 25th Grand Slam championship overall.
In a lighthearted on-court interview after the match, Djokovic — who celebrated the win with some playful dancing that made his daughter Tara laugh — suggested a creative solution to the tie with Federer. “I propose a match-up between me and Roger for 106,” he joked. “Let’s just stop it here and call Roger to come.”
The match itself was not without drama. Djokovic controlled the first two sets with precise shot-making and the athletic flexibility that has become his trademark, drawing loud cheers from the crowd — including a bow from the Serb after one diving volley winner. However, Rinderknech, the 25th seed who upset Alexander Zverev in last year’s first round, stormed through the third set and came within two points of handing Djokovic his first 6-0 set loss at Wimbledon. Djokovic ultimately needed a clean tiebreak in the fourth set to close things out, with both players ending up on the ground at match point.
Djokovic will next face Russian Roman Safiullin, a win that would give him sole possession of second place on the all-time Wimbledon match-wins list, moving past Federer.
Italian world number one Jannik Sinner, who could potentially meet Djokovic in the semi-finals, has been gradually finding his form on grass. On Friday, he looked sharp in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Jenson Brooksby. “Trying to move better. Return today was a little bit better. So all things considered, today was a small step forward,” Sinner said. He had survived a first-round scare against Miomir Kecmanovic before settling into the tournament. Sinner’s next opponent is 151st-ranked Shintaro Mochizuki, and he cannot face a seeded player until the semi-finals.
Eighth seed Daniil Medvedev, who might have been a potential quarter-final opponent for Sinner, was eliminated by Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 7-5.
Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime quietly continued his tournament run, beating American Michael Zheng 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-1, and will next face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
On the women’s side, top seed Aryna Sabalenka moved efficiently into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, a former French Open champion known for her aggressive play. “She is really dangerous. Last match I played against her, I couldn’t do anything, she just smashed me off the court,” Sabalenka said. “The plan is to get better every day. A little better level every time I am competing on this beautiful grass.” Sabalenka has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Her next challenge will be Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who reached the last 16 for the first time after a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over Daria Kasatkina. Sabalenka acknowledged the difficulty ahead: “I’m ready to fight and do whatever it takes to get through.”
American Coco Gauff also advanced, though not without some nerves, beating fellow American Claire Liu 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 after squandering match points in the second set. Eighteen-year-old American Iva Jovic, one of 15 Americans to reach the third round across the singles draws, continued her impressive run with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over experienced Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
American fourth seed Jessica Pegula also advanced past Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, while 11th seed Belinda Bencic needed a deciding-set tiebreak to get past Anna Kalinskaya.
Two 19-year-old men’s players who had generated excitement heading into the tournament saw their runs come to an end. Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, the 24th seed, was beaten convincingly by Safiullin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, while Spain’s Rafael Jodar fell to Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4.
Defending 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova advanced with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Nikola Bartunkova and will face fellow Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova, who ended the run of Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-2, 7-6(1).
