Novak Djokovic equalled Roger Federer's all-time men's singles record of 105 Wimbledon victories on Friday, 4 July, grinding past Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) in a three-hour, one-minute Centre Court battle to advance to the fourth round. The seven-time champion was far from his imperious best but found the big moments when it mattered most.

The Record That Now Belongs to Two Men

With his 105th singles win at the All England Club, the 39-year-old Serbian draws level with Federer as the most prolific men's singles winner in Wimbledon history. Only former WTA World No. 1 Martina Navratilova, who holds 120 wins across all competitions, stands ahead of him in the all-time standings. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and the most decorated player in the history of the major circuit, reached the milestone at a tournament he has described as a childhood dream.

'To be able to make history in this sport is a huge honour and a huge privilege,' Djokovic said in his on-court interview. 'Particularly here, it's always been a dream childhood tournament of mine. I'm not thinking about whether it's going to be 105 or 106, but I'm just thinking about trying to win that match on a given day.'

He added with characteristic wit: 'I propose a matchup between Roger and me for 106!'

How the Match Unfolded

Djokovic had entered the contest on the back of a commanding three-set dismantling of Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday, which served as a pointed reminder to the rest of the draw. Friday's outing told a starkly different story. Rinderknech, the 25th seed standing 6'5", fired 35 winners across the opening two sets alone, yet dropped both. His aggressive baseline game and heavy serve eventually extracted a dividend in the third set, which he took convincingly as Djokovic turned tentative.

The fourth set produced some of the most absorbing tennis of the fortnight. Rinderknech held for 4-4 in a rally that had Djokovic backpedalling toward the baseline before a backhand sailed long — a point that drew the Centre Court crowd to its feet. The tie-break went to Djokovic 7-4, sealing a match that ended with both players sprawled on the grass after a dramatic final point.

Rinderknech's Biggest Stage

The Frenchman was not without pedigree on this court. Twelve months ago, on the same Centre Court stage, he claimed the biggest scalp of his career, defeating then-World No. 3 Alexander Zverev. His serve-and-volley routines troubled Djokovic throughout, and his capacity to absorb pressure rallies kept the match alive deep into the fourth. Ultimately, though, Djokovic's resilience and championship experience proved the difference.

Fourth-Round Opponent: Roman Safiullin

Djokovic next faces 28-year-old qualifier Roman Safiullin, who produced a near-flawless 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 dismissal of Joao Fonseca earlier on Friday. Safiullin had struggled with injury in the latter part of 2025 and had not recorded a single tour-level win in 2026 before arriving at Wimbledon. His form this week, however, suggests he will pose a sterner test than his seeding implies.