Novak Djokovic scored a record-equaling 105th win at Wimbledon on Friday with a testing triumph over French 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech on Centre Court.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion worked his way to a 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) win in the London sunshine at The All England Club. Djokovic is only the fourth man in the Open Era to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon after turning 39 and the second to do so in the last 50 years. The other to achieve this was Roger Federer in 2021.
“A bit of luck, a bit of skill. In the end, it was pretty much a flawless tiebreaker from my side,” Djokovic said of his latest win.
“I did everything I could in a controllable situation. I served extremely well during the tiebreak, but for most of the match I struggled with that serve. It was also due to his (Rinderknech’s) quality. He’s very tall and hits incredible serves.”
Seventh-seeded Djokovic moved through the first two sets relatively easily, with the exception of getting broken midway through the opener. However, he started to come undone in the third, following an inspired fightback from Rinderknech that saw him clinch five games in a row, and the Frenchman was two points from becoming the first man to bagel Djokovic in a major since Rafael Nadal in 2020. Djokovic stopped the run but dropped the set, his second of the tournament.
In the fourth frame, there was little to separate the duo as 12 games went by with no break points occurring. In the tiebreak, Djokovic edged to match point after a forehand from his rival went wide. Then, during a rally in which both men ended up on the ground, Djokovic sealed victory with a diving volley.
Throughout his latest showdown at SW19, Djokovic hit 40 winners to 16 unforced errors in what was his first Tour-level meeting with Rinderknech.
“Last year on the Centre Court he beat Zverev, so he likes the big stage and he wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion,”Djokovic said of his opponent.
“It was a really tiring and close match. I’m happy to overcome it in the tiebreaker. Sometimes you just have to find a way to win.”
Rinderknech is now 3-22 against top 10 opposition on the Tour (1-7 in Grand Slams alone). Coached by former quarter-finalist Lucas Pouille, he is currently ranked four places below his career high at 28th in the world.
The latest victory places Djokovic in a position to create more history at Wimbledon in the coming days. Should he win his next match, he will move ahead of Federer to have more singles victories than any other male player in history and move to second in the all-time list. Martina Navratilova is in first place with 120 wins.
“To be able to make history in this sport is a huge privilege, particularly here (at Wimbledon).” He said.
“It’s always been a dream childhood tournament of mine.
“I’m not thinking if it’s going to be (win number) 105, 106, etc. I’m just trying to win that match on the given day.”
Djokovic will next play qualifier Roman Safiullin, who brushed aside an undeterred Joao Fonsecas in straight sets
“At this stage of my career, every day brings something new and unpredictable for me. I hope in a few days’ time I will come out at my best,” Djokovic concluded..
