Novak Djokovic moved into the Wimbledon fourth round on Friday, beating Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) on Centre Court and matching Roger Federer’s men’s record of 105 singles match wins at the All England Club.
The win kept Djokovic’s chase for a record 25th Grand Slam title alive, but it was not the smooth Centre Court statement he might have wanted. The 39-year-old Serbian, seeded No. 7 at Wimbledon 2026, had to absorb a major third-set surge from Rinderknech before finding enough precision in the fourth-set tiebreak to avoid a deciding set.
Djokovic Joins Federer On 105 Wimbledon Wins. Djokovic’s latest milestone adds another line to one of tennis’ longest-running record chases. Federer finished his Wimbledon career with 105 singles match wins, the men’s benchmark Djokovic has now equaled. Only Martina Navratilova, with 120 singles wins at Wimbledon, sits ahead of Djokovic on the tournament’s all-time list.
Djokovic also reached the Wimbledon fourth round for the 18th time, another Federer mark he has now matched. A win in his next match would move Djokovic ahead of Federer in men’s Wimbledon match victories and leave him alone in second place on the overall singles list.
Rinderknech Made Djokovic Work For It. Rinderknech, the No. 25 seed from France, gave Djokovic far more trouble than the scoreline after two sets suggested. The Frenchman’s serve, height and willingness to move forward forced Djokovic into uncomfortable exchanges, especially once the match shifted in the third set.
After losing the first two sets 7-5 and 6-4, Rinderknech dominated the third. Djokovic briefly looked vulnerable as Rinderknech rolled through the set 6-1 and threatened to turn the match into a longer, more physical battle. The fourth set brought the real pressure. Rinderknech continued to serve well and kept Djokovic from breaking, pushing the match into a tiebreak that could have changed the entire tone of the afternoon.
That is where Djokovic did what he has done throughout his career. He tightened his game, found first serves when he needed them, and closed the tiebreak 7-4. Both players ended up on the grass during the final point, a fitting image for a match that became far more dramatic than expected.
Grand Slam No. 25 Remains In Play. Djokovic is still trying to become the first player in tennis history to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles. He already owns the men’s record with 24, but another Wimbledon title would move him clear of Margaret Court’s all-time mark and give him an eighth title at the All England Club.
That would also tie Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon singles titles. The path remains difficult, but Djokovic’s draw changed earlier Friday when Brazilian No. 24 seed João Fonseca lost to Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Fonseca had been a potential fourth-round opponent and one of the more dangerous young players in Djokovic’s section.
Instead, Djokovic will face Safiullin, a Russian qualifier who has already beaten Andrey Rublev and Fonseca during his Wimbledon run.
Safiullin Is Next For Djokovic. Safiullin’s run is one of the more unexpected stories of the men’s draw. He arrived at Wimbledon after an injury-disrupted stretch and had not won a tour-level match this season before the tournament.
That makes Djokovic the clear favorite in the fourth round, but Friday’s match against Rinderknech was a reminder that grass-court danger can arrive quickly. Big servers, low margins and short bursts of pressure can make even early-week matches uncomfortable for the tournament’s most decorated players.
Djokovic survived that kind of test against Rinderknech. Now he has a chance to pass Federer on Wimbledon’s men’s match-wins list and move one step closer to another historic title push. For a player who has spent much of his career chasing, tying and passing Federer records, Sunday’s fourth-round match brings another familiar prize: one more Wimbledon number that could belong to Djokovic alone.
