Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic added another milestone to his remarkable career on Sunday, breaking Roger Federer’s record for the most men’s singles match wins at the All England Club.
Djokovic’s 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 fourth-round victory over Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin was his 106th men’s singles win at Wimbledon, moving him one clear of Federer.
Only Martina Navratilova, with 120 singles victories, has won more matches at Wimbledon across both the men’s and women’s events.
The 39-year-old also reached his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final—and ninth in succession—while extending his record to 66 Grand Slam quarter-final appearances.
Djokovic will next face either Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spain’s 22nd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a place in the semi-finals.
The Serbian remains on course for a blockbuster last-four clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who was due to face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki later on Sunday.
“Survive to thrive, that’s how I feel. So hopefully the thriving part is coming,” Djokovic said.
“Our mind wanders all the time; it’s very hard to keep it in the present moment. Whoever does that is a winner.
“I don’t get to feel inferior from the back of the court with too many players. Today was one of those days I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long, to be honest, so I had to mix things up.”
Djokovic has now won all 20 of his Wimbledon matches against players ranked outside the world’s top 100 and boasts a perfect 34-0 record against qualifiers at Grand Slam tournaments.
Although he has dropped a set in three of his four matches this fortnight, the Serbian continues to edge closer to more history.
He is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would move him clear of Margaret Court’s all-time tally. Victory would also earn him an eighth Wimbledon crown, equalling Federer’s men’s record, and make him the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era.
Djokovic apologises for on-court outbursts
Djokovic is also the first man aged 35 or older to reach six Wimbledon singles quarter-finals, surpassing the previous record of five held by Federer.
However, the Serbian acknowledged there is room for improvement after being pushed hard by world No. 132 Safiullin, who arrived at Wimbledon on the back of a poor run of form.
The Russian’s aggressive shot-making troubled Djokovic throughout the contest, which lasted three hours and 25 minutes on a sweltering Centre Court.
Djokovic appeared to struggle with his vision early in the match, repeatedly rubbing his eyes as Safiullin surged into a 5-2 lead in the opening set.
The former world No. 1 responded impressively, reeling off the games needed to force a tie-break before producing a composed display to edge it.
After taking a six-minute break before the second set, Djokovic returned refreshed and dominated proceedings.
His level dipped again in the third set as frustration crept into his game. He gestured angrily after losing points and was booed by sections of the crowd after smashing a ball in frustration.
“The outbursts as well, the meltdowns, I had a few of those today as well, I apologise,” Djokovic said.
He regained his composure in the fourth set, closing out the match to keep his bid for more Wimbledon history alive.
