Novak Djokovic equalled Roger Federer’s record for the most wins at Wimbledon after he beat France’s Arthur Rinderknech in four sets to reach the fourth round on Friday.
The seven-time champion secured his 105th victory at the All England Club with a 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) win over the 25th seed in an entertaining Centre Court contest.
“To make history in this sport is a huge honour, especially here at Wimbledon,” Djokovic said after the match.
“This has always been my dream tournament. I just try to focus on winning the match in front of me. Today I was more nervous than usual.”
The Serb then joked about his latest milestone.
“I think Roger and I should play a match for win number 106. Let’s stop here and invite Roger back,” he said with a smile.
The victory also saw Djokovic equal Federer’s record for most appearances in the Wimbledon fourth round in the Open era, reaching the last 16 for the 18th time.
He will next face Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin on Sunday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. A win would send Djokovic into his 66th Grand Slam quarter-final and his 17th at Wimbledon.
“I did what I needed to do today,” Djokovic said.
“It wasn’t as comfortable as my second-round match, but I’m happy with the way I handled it. Hopefully I’ll be at my best in a couple of days.”
Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals last year before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, ending his run of six straight finals at the tournament.
Although Rinderknech tested him, Djokovic was rarely in serious trouble despite losing the third set.
After playing his first two matches under the Centre Court roof, Djokovic had said he was hoping for an outdoor match. The sunny conditions suited him well as he produced another composed performance, making only 16 unforced errors.
Rinderknech had his best spell in the third set, hitting 13 winners to force the match into a fourth. But the Frenchman could not maintain that level as Djokovic regained control.
Djokovic entertained the crowd throughout the match, even bowing to the spectators after producing a spectacular diving volley while serving out the opening set.
He carried that momentum into the second set, breaking serve early before sealing it with another ace.
Rinderknech fought back brilliantly in the third, but Djokovic stayed calm in a high-quality fourth set and wrapped up the match in a tie-break. On match point, both players ended up on the grass after a dramatic exchange at the net, with Djokovic coming out on top to book his place in the last 16.
