Novak Djokovic broke Roger Federerโs record for most men’s singles victories in Wimbledon history. The achievement was recorded as the Serbian moved into the Wimbledon quarter-finals by defeating Russian Roman Safiullin in four sets. prevailed 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to record his 106th men’s singles victory at the All England Club, surpassing the legendary Federer.ย
The milestone leaves Djokovic second only to Martina Navratilova, who collected 120 singles victories in the women’s draw during her Wimbledon career.
Notably, the 39-year-old’s latest victory was far from routine despite the significant ranking gap between the two players. Djokovic experienced discomfort with his eyes early in the contest and later received a warning for an audible obscenity. He also escaped further punishment after striking a ball to the back of the opposite side of the court following a service break in the third set.
โI’m known for my outbursts and meltdowns, I had a few of those today so I apologise. Our mind wanders all the time. It is very hard to keep it in the present moment. Whoever manages to do that is the winner,โ Djokovic said after the game.ย
Earlier, Djokovic had equalled Federer’s men’s record with his third-round success and now continues his pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon singles title, which would draw him level with Federer. He is also chasing a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles crown.
Safiullin pushed Djokovic hard
When it comes to the match, 132nd-ranked Safiullin, who is playing as a qualifier, pushed the favourite throughout the contest. The 28-year-old had arrived in the fourth round after three successive five-set victories dating back to the final qualifying round and had also eliminated 12th seed Andrey Rublev during his run.
The Russian recovered from an early break in the opening set and served for it before Djokovic forced a tie-break and edged ahead. Safiullin stayed within striking distance in the second before surrendering a crucial service game.
A medical timeout for a left-leg issue interrupted Safiullin’s challenge in the third set, but he recovered to claim his first set in four tour-level meetings with Djokovic. The Serbian responded immediately in the fourth, earning an early break before serving out the match to love after more than three hours on court.
The victory sends Djokovic into his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final, where he will face either Canada’s third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as he continues his bid for more history at SW19.
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